Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan: Equality Impact Assessment

Key Findings

For each of the protected characteristic groups, the potential for positive impact was identified. The evidence base for potential impact on Age, Disability and Sex was stronger than for the remaining characteristics, indicating that multiple actions in the plan could potentially benefit these groups. For example, actions that support increasing access to STEM programmes, improving public transport links, and supporting the development of the Greener Grangemouth Programme all demonstrated a potential to support and improve the lives of groups with the aforementioned characteristics through the creation of high-skilled and diverse employment opportunities, enhanced social mobility, and improved mental and physical health outcomes. The action to ‘fund a recognised community engagement and participation manger’ demonstrated the potential to benefit all groups as the JTP is implemented, particularly against the public sector equality duty (PSED) requirement to ‘promote good relations among and between groups’.

It should be noted that there are some limitations in the evidence base. Firstly, there is an absence of a disaggregated breakdown of respondents in terms of different characteristics within both the public consultation and the engagement undertaken by CVS Falkirk and District as the Scottish Government cannot compel individuals to supply this information when responding to a consultation. This limits the ability to draw characteristic-specific insights from within the responses.

The JTP outlines a robust monitoring and evaluation framework that embeds a process of continual assessment and reportage every two years. This process will be conducted by GFIB and will require that representatives on the Board are regularly engaged to ensure that the efficacy of the JTP is appropriately measured. Impacts to equalities will be considered within this framework and to this end measurement indicators outlined within the Monitoring and Evaluation section of the JTP. Within this, the EQIA must also undergo regular reviews and updates, coordinated with the progress reports, to adapt to the evolving evidence and circumstances, especially as Census 2022 data becomes available.

A full summary of the evidence and data gathering on protected characteristics, which has shaped the development of this EQIA can be found in the Record section of this assessment.