Composite E (covering Motions 9, 11 & 12)
Democratising Ownership & Control of Energy
“That this Congress condemns the loss of skilled workers’ jobs in the oil and gas industry, exemplified by the closure of the Grangemouth refinery.
“Congress accepts the urgent need to end the burning of fossil fuels to combat the climate catastrophe and rejects the idea that workers in the sector should pay the price, in the same way coalfield communities did in the 1980s.
“Congress recognises the huge expansion of wind generation in Scotland over the past 20 years contributing to the development of renewable energy and progress towards Net-Zero. However, the economic benefits to local and national economies have been significantly less than the profits made by private and foreign owned corporations.
“Congress notes a striking lack of Scottish presence in the manufacturing supply chain and the dominance of the foreign based companies who own and control Scotland’s wind capacity, and condemns the abject failure of the Scottish and UK Governments to develop and fund public and community ownership/stakes in new renewables projects, which stands in stark contrast to Denmark where over 50% of renewables projects are community owned.
“Congress further notes Denmark’s primary state-owned entity in wind energy is Ørsted, where the Danish Government holds a majority stake (50.1%), and the company promotes community ownership through co-operatives and supportive policies.
“Congress acknowledges Denmark’s 2008 Renewable Energy Act requires that at least 20% of new wind farms be offered to local citizens for purchase, and that by 2016 more than half of Denmark’s wind capacity was owned by citizens.
“In Scotland, most of the onshore wind generation industry will be seeking to negotiate new leases over the next twenty years as they repower their assets. This provides a golden opportunity to deliver a reset and bring a better balance between national economic benefit and international investment and expertise.
“Congress notes its long-standing support for municipal energy bringing renewable energy benefits directly to local communities, and welcomes the development of the Highland Social Value Charter using local authority planning powers to enforce conditionalities in new renewable projects.
“Congress has no faith in corporations or private capital in tackling the climate crisis and believes that reliance by the UK and Scottish Governments on private energy companies has made excessive profits for multi nationals, and crippling energy bills for consumers.
“Congress calls for democratic public ownership of all forms of energy — including Grangemouth, North Sea operations, and renewables — as the foundation for a rapid transition to green energy production, without loss of jobs or conditions, through alternative plans of green production drafted by experts in the field, including energy workers themselves.
“Congress believes this is best achieved through a socialist Green New Deal based on democratic and common ownership which could create tens of thousands of skilled jobs and apprenticeships, slash heating bills, and fund public and community services.
“Congress calls on the General Council to urge the Scottish Government to:
- ensure that all newly applied for licenses for wind generation, including applications for repowering leases, include options for public, municipal, and community ownership, or shared ownership;
- ensure that all corporate licenses include at least 20% community shared ownership and Fair Work principles, including trade union recognition;
- develop funding streams through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme and the Scottish National Investment Bank for communities and councils to access the required investment capital; and
- commit to rebalancing the ownership mix of wind generation towards far greater public, community, and municipal ownership.”
Mover: Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU)
Seconder: East Kilbride & South Lanarkshire Trades Union Council
Supporter: West Lothian Trades Union Council
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