Scottish Government ‘not as loud as it should be’ in support of offshore energies

The Scottish Government must be louder in its support of the offshore sector in order to deliver a just transition, the chief executive of the sector’s trade body has said.

Speaking at a Holyrood fringe event as the SNP conference, CEO of OEUK David Whitehouse said he was “truly concerned” about the way the energy transition was being managed across the UK and urged the government to help “make sure the UK Government delivers on that”.

Asked what Scottish ministers could do, Whitehouse said government had not been “as loud as it should be”.

He said: “We have such an opportunity in Scotland, and we have such a brilliant workforce that do brilliant things – and I have not heard the government coming out and being supportive of that as loud as it should be, not for two years. That’s what we need.”

He said there was a feeling among investors in the offshore sector that Scotland “doesn’t want our investment”.

“We could really do with some loud voices that say, ‘we have a fantastic opportunity here in Scotland, and the way we’re going to deliver it is by doing it together, breaking down barriers and getting people working together and building on our strengths’. If the Scottish Government would simply say that out loud, that would be really helpful,” he added.

Protestors interrupted the start of the fringe event, chanting "fossil fuels out of politics" and holding a banner.

Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, said the energy transition was not happening “as quickly as [it] needs to”. He pointed to delays in funding support for projects like carbon capture and storage (CCS) as an example.

The MP, who represents Aberdeen South, told delegates the people in Aberdeen were “very concerned”.

“We are forever talking about potential; let’s get on and do it,” he added.

Acting climate action minister Alasdair Allan said he and ministerial colleagues were working with the UK Government to find common ground.

But he added it was difficult for the Scottish Government to invest in the transition “while your capital budget is being cut by the UK Government”.

He also said there needed to be a “clearer picture in people’s minds of the benefits” of the transition.