The Scottish Government has set out its plans to place Scotland at the forefront of the global net zero economy.
It has published a new Green Industrial Strategy which includes hosting a global offshore wind investment forum next spring, developing hubs of hydrogen production and working with public and private partners to drive investment in key projects.
The strategy sets out five priority areas - maximising the wind economy, growing the hydrogen sector, developing carbon capture technology, supporting green economy professional and financial services and attracting clean energy intensive industries such as data centres.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin unveiled the strategy during a visit to Flowcopter, a company developing drones which can be used in the offshore wind sector.
Ms Forbes said Aberdeen and its expertise in oil and gas will be crucial in helping the government turn the strategy into reality.
"Expertise in oil and gas provides us with a world-class subsea engineering workforce and existing strong offshore supply chains, as well as infrastructure that can be repurposed to sequester carbon in the North Sea and support hydrogen pipelines," she said.
"Added to that are a highly skilled energy workforce – including oil and gas workers in the North-east – geographical proximity to European markets, and a strong culture of research and development."
Writing in today’s Scotsman, Ms Forbes, said the strategy’s top priorities are where “Scotland’s greatest strengths lie and our work will be most effective”.
She said: “Scotland already has a head start in making the most of the move to net zero for the benefit of its people and communities. Now we must capitalise on the economic impact of that transition.
“To do that, we will partner with public institutions, business, industry, unions, investors and academia. By prioritising resources and investment to create an environment for growth, and by coordinating policy.
“The green industrial strategy sets out how we will use the policy levers available to us to support growth and investment. It is a clear statement of direction, focus, and intent. It outlines how we will remove barriers, create incentives and provide support wherever we can.”
Click here to read the strategy in full.