11 February 2025

Dear Piers,

Next steps for Scotland’s just transition process

We are writing following a very useful conversation last month with Emma and your Secretariat, principally to share with you our latest research report “Measuring and Evaluating Success in the Scottish Just Transition” (attached). Alongside this report and in line with our remit, we published the Commission’s recommendations regarding the critical next steps for Scotland in terms of just transition monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in our annual report (see pp. 17-19 in the attached file).

We hope this report and the Commission’s associated recommendations will be useful to the Committee in considering its forthcoming advice to the Scottish Government as we begin a new phase of Scotland’s climate process, as well as for other devolved authorities and the UK Government.

Progress on delivery of mitigation and adaptation measures in Scotland over the coming years will depend on a robust just transition process involving multistakeholder engagement and social dialogue to build consensus around the most challenging social and economic changes and help avoid further costly delays. We already have an admirable commitment to just transition principles in legislation. There is now an opportunity to make this high level aspiration tangible and measurable through a serious long term program of M&E activity specifically addressed to the question of fairness.

Our remit extends to the end of the current Scottish Parliament, and we hope the Committee will identify the value of building on the work of both the first and second iterations of the Commission in fostering social dialogue and providing scrutiny and advice to support progress on this challenging agenda.

Finally, we were delighted to be joined by Prof Keith Bell and Bea Natzler during our recent visit to Aberdeen to engage with offshore workers, business and industry representatives, and very glad to hear these sessions were useful to the Committee. We would warmly welcome further opportunities to work together engaging other areas and affected groups.

Yours sincerely,

Prof. Dave Reay and Satwat Rehman

Co-Chairs, Just Transition Commission