Last month, the Scottish Government proposed radical changes to our energy system that will benefit people and planet.

The new Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan proposes ditching moves to extract every last drop of oil and gas in Scotland and instead sets a clear path to a renewable future.

We are one of the first countries with significant fossil fuel reserves to accept that some fossil fuels need to be left in the ground if our planet is to be kept safe.

It also prioritises protecting the workers most impacted by the shift by committing Scotland to being at the forefront of the global green skills revolution.

This is a truly historic step forward. It represents a tipping point in favour of clean, renewable energy.

This is Scotland showing global leadership in tackling the reality of climate disaster and championing a fair and just transition to a greener future.

But a fair and just transition isn’t just about oil in the North East, it will have to involve all the downstream industries that use oil and gas by-products.

Fife is home to Scotland’s third largest polluter – the Mossmorran ethylene plant.

Mossmorran has been a living nightmare for residents who for far too long have felt under siege from their noisy neighbour with its flaring and fears over safety.

Just this week, I wrote to the Procurator Fiscal for an update on the investigation into the plant following warnings from SEPA and the Health and Safety Executive in 2020.

But just like other heavy industry in Scotland, Mossmorran is facing an uncertain future as world business starts to question the scale of plastics production needed in the decades ahead.

That’s why I commissioned expert research to look at what a meaningful just transition for Mossmorran could look like, what kind of funding is needed, and examples of where transformative approaches have worked.

This report underlines how an unmanaged decline at the site could be devastating for workers. Instead, it offers at least five alternative core pathways to decarbonisation.

Crucially, it also paints a very bleak picture of what the alternative is if nothing changes.

A cleaner, sustainable future for the plant is possible – with a joined-up approach that has workers at its very heart. What we need to see at Mossmorran is a site-specific Just Transition Plan, a Fife focused version of what we are seeing for the oil and gas industry in the North-East.

Climate proofing Mossmorran would save hundreds of jobs and provide a massive boost for Scotland’s efforts in reaching its net zero targets by 2045. But we need to see action, fast.

This year I’ll be working hard in the community and in Parliament to secure these crucial commitments for Mossmorran and our climate.

We’ll be kicking off this work with an online event on the 13th February at 6.00pm, where we’ll discuss what a Just Transition for Mossmorran could look like, and what steps we need to take to ensure we leave no-one behind. Drop my office an email on mark.ruskell.msp@parliament.scot to book a place.

A fair and just transition for Mossmorran is possible and hopefully we can move the conversation forward with the community and the workers.