Grangemouth - draft Just Transition Plan: consultation analysis

Introduction

The Grangemouth industrial cluster plays a key role in the UK economy due to its substantial contribution to Scotland’s economy and safeguarding Scotland’s energy security. Grangemouth specialises in oil refining, petrochemicals, and transport and logistics, all of which have a significant impact on both the regional and national economy as well as on carbon emissions. In 2022, the Grangemouth cluster was responsible for 7.2% of Scotland’s total territorial emissions.^[1]

The Scottish Government (SG) partnered with the Grangemouth Future Industry Board (GFIB) to develop the Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan, which aims to guide the Grangemouth industrial sector to sustainably decarbonise and reach net zero by 2045.

Consultation on the draft Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan

The SG launched a public consultation to gather views from the public on the draft Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan. The consultation opened on 7^th November 2024 and closed on 6^th February 2025, and contained 40 questions. The consultation received a total of 31 responses.

Feedback from the consultation will be used to identify and action any necessary changes to the draft Just Transition Plan and ensure the transition brings the greatest social and economic benefits to Grangemouth.

Community Consultation Report

The SG also separately tasked CVS Falkirk & District to conduct community engagement for the Plan, and seek the community’s views on the Plan. This was to ensure the opinions of the third sector and local residents were sufficiently incorporated into the development of the plan through consultation.

This report incorporates findings from CVS Falkirk & District’s engagement with Grangemouth community members on the draft Grangemouth Just Transition Plan. As part of this engagement, 113 community respondents provided their views on the JT Plan. To encourage community engagement, the CVS Falkirk & District, together with the Scottish Government, revised the initial consultation document, reducing the consultation questions from 41 to 21. CVS Falkirk & District analysed and reported findings from their engagement in the Community Consultation Report (“Community Consultation Report”).

Project Willow

The consultation was carried out alongside Project Willow, which mapped investment opportunities within the Grangemouth industrial cluster. Project Willow was commissioned by Petroineos and funded by both the UK and SG following the announcement of the closure of the Grangemouth refinery. The aim of Project Willow was to evaluate the potential areas for investment in Grangemouth for it to transition into a low-carbon manufacturing hub in the future. Project Willow evaluated over 300 technologies and conducted extensive secondary research and stakeholder interviews which identified nine projects around wastes, bio-feedstocks and support for offshore wind.^[2] Project Willow, its aims and interventions have been referenced by various respondents throughout this consultation.