New Commission Must Ensure Action on Just Transition

A partnership of Trade Unions and environmental groups(1), has welcomed the announcement of a second Just Transition Commission for which it has long campaigned.  It said the time had come to move from words to action and start delivering the Just Transition.  It welcomed the inclusion of trade unionists, equality and economic social justice interests on the Commission but criticised the lack of environmental voices, particularly on the standing group on energy transition.

The Just Transition Partnership has pointed out that the recommendations of the first JTC  have not been acted upon and stressed the need for the second Commission to be fully independent of the Scottish Government, with sufficient resources to carry out its work plan adequately.

STUC’s General Secretary, Roz Foyer, said:

“We welcome the announcement of a new Just Transition Commission and look forward to working with it in the period ahead. Planning and implementing a Just Transition in Scotland is an urgent challenge and the new Commission will need to ensure that Government and business get on with delivery.

“We are reassured at the appointment of trade union representatives with the knowledge and expertise to ensure full trade union engagement in the creation of just transition plans and of other commissioners with a clear commitment to equality, social justice and community empowerment.  However we share the concerns of our colleagues in the environmental movement at their lack of voice among the standing commissioners on energy transition.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Head of Campaigns, Mary Church said:

“The continuation of the Commission, with a new purpose to monitor progress and evaluate proposals, is a welcome next step. The Commission must be resourced and empowered to play its part in holding the Scottish Government to account so that it moves beyond the rhetoric and starts delivering green jobs, reducing social inequality and rapidly cutting our emissions.

“However it is disappointing to see so few voices there to represent the environment when the reality that we are hurtling towards climate catastrophe is the impetus for just transition, and here in Scotland we keep missing our targets.

“The fact that short term appointments to develop the energy sector plan have prioritised industry bosses is deeply concerning. The Commission must address this imbalance and ensure it hears sufficiently about the need for rapid and transformative change to reduce emissions, and the wider environmental implications of industry-fixes to the climate crisis.”