Scotland must stop drilling for yesterday’s energy and get real - Lorna Slater
Few decisions will shape Scotland’s future more than what we do with the North Sea. It is deeply disappointing to see John Swinney move his party away from the principle that there should be a presumption against new oil and gas drilling.
The First Minister has, for the first time, said that he opposes the UK Government’s plans to end new exploration licences. Instead, he wants each proposed development considered case by case. He is keeping the door open to new fossil fuel fields when Scotland should be planning how to move beyond them.
This is a significant retreat from the position developed when the Scottish Greens were in government. Our draft energy strategy recognised that a country serious about the climate emergency cannot keep opening new fossil fuel sources while claiming to lead the transition to a cleaner future.
It is a decision that sits uneasily with many people across Scotland, including those who vote SNP.
People are worried about the climate crisis and want governments to take it seriously. There is strong support for renewable energy, protecting nature and building an economy fit for future generations.
Many SNP voters want Scotland to lead, not keep approving new oil and gas fields when the need to move beyond fossil fuels is clear.
The SNP leadership should pay attention. There is a clear appetite among its supporters for practical climate action and investment in clean energy. Scotland needs greater ambition, not a retreat from recent commitments.
The decisions we take now will determine whether Scotland captures the jobs and investment of the energy transition, or watches those opportunities move elsewhere.
The Scottish Greens have been consistent on this. In Parliament, through public campaigning, in the media and at every opportunity, we have challenged the SNP to defend the presumption against new exploration. We have warned that climate compatibility tests risk justifying developments incompatible with the action needed to limit global heating.
Saying no to new drilling must go hand in hand with a credible plan for workers and communities.
We cannot abandon oil and gas workers to an unmanaged decline; they need a planned transition. Workers in the North Sea have skills Scotland needs in the industries of the future. They deserve secure jobs, proper training and a genuine say in what comes next.
That means investing in offshore wind, tidal and wave energy, renewable manufacturing, ports, grid infrastructure and supply chains that keep more of the value of Scotland’s energy transition here. It means a properly funded just transition, shaped with workers, unions and communities, and ensuring that the wealth generated by Scotland’s natural resources benefits the people who live here.
More drilling will not bring down household energy bills. Oil and gas are traded on international markets, and new fields will not give families control over volatile global prices.
Clean, home-grown renewable energy offers a better route to long-term energy security, good jobs and lower emissions.
Scotland has the skills, resources and ambition to become a world leader in clean energy.
We should be investing in that future, not clinging to the past. John Swinney should listen to people in his own party and across Scotland who want climate action, decent work and a fairer future.
The North Sea must be part of a just transition, not an excuse to delay it.