Grangemouth Industrial - just transition plan: supporting a fair transition for Scotland's core manufacturing cluster

How This Document Should be Used

Approach

This document has been developed sequentially, in line with the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Planning Framework. This follows a process of developing a data driven Baseline to map current circumstances, a Vision for the future, an Action Plan outlining how we will get there, and a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to support periodic review and improvement.

Our 16 Just Transition Outcomes sit at the core of the plan, and form a critical link across the sections of the document, framing the ambition for the future, supporting actions and how they will be monitored.

We have developed these components through extensive research of available data, interviews and a series of in-depth workshops with a wide range of stakeholders across industry, trade unions, the wider Scottish public sector, and the Grangemouth community.

Theory of Change

Following recent advice from the Just Transition Commission, we have developed a theory of change outlining the key components of this plan and how they relate to one another.^[1] Our approach has focused on definition of the overarching vision for Grangemouth, working backwards to arrive at specific actions to support change in collaboration with input from a wide range of partners.

Vision: our ‘mission statement’, outlining our overarching ambition of what a Just Transition for the Grangemouth industrial cluster should achieve.

Transition Pillars: identifying the five key transformation areas for the core industrial cluster, describing the decarbonisation and diversification trends that we expect to see advance industry towards sustainable and climate compatible manufacturing. They describe broadly, industry’s transition to net zero.

Just Transition Outcomes: Designed to ensure that industry’s transition is just - for industry, workers, and wider communities of Grangemouth. Any decision or action taken by GFIB must evidence how it supports these outcomes.

Central Actors: Those key partners who will be required to collaborate and who will be accountable for ensure broader outcomes are adhered to and fit-for-purpose over a long-term timeframe.

Transition Levers: providing a thematic focus for activity, distilled down from the just transition outcomes, ensuring that attention is appropriately focused on all areas of the just transition.

Actions: The specific activities we have developed through extensive engagement and research, using transition levers as starting points.

Guiding Principles

Successful Delivery of the Vision

Equity and Fairness for People, Profit, and Planet

Decisions must consider social, environmental and financial benefits and challenges across all impacted stakeholder groups. The aim being to ensure that all decisions maximise benefits across people, profit, and planet for all stakeholders as much as possible.

Systems Thinking Approach

The transition to net zero will be a complex journey, influenced by various political, economic, technological, and scientific factors. A systems thinking approach will be required to address the issues and identify opportunities. This means that stakeholders will need to work together and problem-solve from a broader perspective as opposed to their traditional silos.

Iterative Co-Design

Given the multidisciplinary nature of the strategic initiatives to be carried out, the transition will require strong collaboration and communication between the public sector, industry, and the community. Employing an iterative, ongoing, collaborative co-design approach will best leverage the deep individual expertise across different Actors, uncover complementary solutions and benefits, build buy-in and commitment, and will prevent one-dimension siloed efforts wherever possible.