Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Accepted in Part
Commit to publishing a long-term North Sea energy transition plan with measurable skills transfer outcomes.
Recommendation
The Government should recognise the urgency of the need for a coherent plan for the North Sea by committing to dates for the publication of its consultation response and consequent transition plan. The transition plan should be long-term in scope, provide certainty to the sector, and speak directly to the challenges faced by the communities in the northeast of Scotland, who are disproportionately affected by the UK’s transition away from oil and gas. We recommend that the Government’s transition plan contains specific and measurable outcomes on increasing the transfer of skills from the oil and gas industry to new sectors, with clear commitments from both governments and industry on how to achieve them. This could include target figures for oil and gas workers transitioning into specific industries, for clean energy job creation, and data on the UK supply chain content in both oil and gas and renewable energy activity. (Recommendation, Paragraph 90)
Government Response Summary
The government partially agreed, stating it has published the 'North Sea Future Plan' and will establish a minister-led 'North Sea Future Board' by early 2026, with community representation, to oversee the transition. While committing to monitoring clean energy jobs, it did not explicitly commit to all specific measurable outcomes like target figures for skills transfer within the plan.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The government partially agrees with recommendation 12. The government agrees with the importance of delivering a coherent transition plan. We committed in our manifesto to securing a long-term future for the North Sea. Following the consultation, “Building the North Sea’s energy future” we published our government response - the North Sea Future Plan - in November. This sets out pragmatic steps to secure and renew the North Sea’s place as Britain’s powerhouse that will both protect good jobs in our oil and gas heartlands and build the next generation of good jobs. The North Sea is one of Britain’s greatest industrial success stories, with world-renowned offshore expertise that has powered the country for over 60 years. But declining oil and gas reserves and 70,000 jobs lost in the last decade means there is an urgent need to act now to manage the declining North Sea basin and retain its world-class offshore expertise. After years of inaction, we are taking pragmatic steps that will ensure existing oil and gas production continues as an essential part of our energy mix for decades to come – while actively scaling up clean energy industries here in the North Sea. The North Sea Future Plan sets out a clear path to grow clean energy industries, support the management of existing oil and gas fields for their lifespan, and help North Sea workers and communities make the transition. As part of this Plan, we have also set out a suite of measures to help the oil and gas workforce transition into new sectors, set out in the response to recommendation 13. These measures build upon the package of support set out in the Clean Energy Jobs Plan, set out in the response to recommendation 18. As part of the Clean Energy Jobs Plan we will monitor clean energy jobs and skills trends from publication and provide regular updates in delivering the objectives of the Jobs Plan. We are determined to maintain momentum. That is why the Plan includes a commitment to set up a minister-led delivery board to oversee the progress, coordination and long-term planning of the North Sea’s industrial transition. The new North Sea Future Board will be made up of experts from the oil and gas industry, renewable industries, trade unions and local government. It will include representation from geographical areas affected by the North Sea’s energy transition, including the northeast of Scotland, who will be able to speak directly to the challenges faced by these communities. The Board will meet for the first time in early 2026. One of the Board’s objectives will be to review progress against the actions in the North Sea Future Plan.