For generations, working on the rigs was the guarantee of a decent life in our part of the world – a secure job with a good wage that would allow you to buy a home and raise a family.
For future generations there are currently no such guarantees.
The once rich oil and gas fields of the North Sea are in decline and new low carbon industries are yet to reach a scale where tens of thousands of high-skilled workers can easily transfer from one sector to another.
The spectre of what happened to the coalfield communities after the pit closure programme of the 1980’s haunts us all.
As the Chamber has said over and over again; this cannot be allowed to happen again.
There is a new chapter to be written for the North Sea and for the tens of thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on it. One where the North Sea’s assets and infrastructure serve as a catalyst in the energy transition and its workforce drive the change, rather than being left behind.
But for this to happen there needs to be a concerted and collaborative effort to find the pathway for an orderly transition – including agreement on how that transition will be financed and how the transfer of tens of thousands of jobs can be managed.
One year ago – almost to the day – Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce called for an independent taskforce to advise on how to achieve this balanced and orderly transition.
Today – with the support of the British Chambers of Commerce – we are announcing the formation of the taskforce – Chamber doing what it does best; taking action, not just talking.
Former Permanent Secretary Philip Rycroft has agreed to lead that work and will convene the expertise and insight of industry, economists, environmentalists, union leaders and academics to chart a pragmatic way forward.
This isn’t just to benefit the communities of North-east of Scotland, though safeguarding a future for thousands of families should be reason enough.
It is because the North Sea is an asset for the whole of the UK, served by a supply chain that stretches across the country and with a critical role to play in our future prosperity and energy security.
More than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs are reliant on the oil and gas sector and the industry’s assets and investment will be critical as we strive to reach Net Zero.
There is too much at stake to gamble Scotland’s future away by kicking this can down the road or risking the UK’s future prosperity by indulging in political point scoring rather than working together to find a way forward.
This requires a far closer relationship between Westminster and Holyrood and an honest dialogue between all interested parties about the trade-offs required as well as the benefits that will flow from finding the right solutions.
A long-term strategy for change, a clear and integrated pathway for transition delivered at the right pace and with the right investment would make the UK a world leader in clean energy production and drive economic growth and prosperity across the nation.
It would also ensure that no one is left behind, that no community is blighted by a botched transition and that Scotland’s future isn’t squandered by a collective failure to find a way forward.
Russell Borthwick is Chief Executive at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce.