Focus North programme manager Peter Faccenda reflects on the launch of the Just Transition Commission’s final report in Thurso last week.
As the Just Transition Commission filed its final report in this session of Parliament, it was no accident that they chose Thurso as the launch location. While much of the media and political focus quite rightly centres on oil and gas around Aberdeen – ensuring that sector benefits from a smooth and equitable transition – our region is quietly producing the lion’s share of Scotland’s renewable energy.
In onshore wind alone, the Highlands contributes almost half of Scotland’s output. Here in the North Highlands, we generate 12.5 times the electricity we consume – before offshore wind is even factored in.
The proposed developments in our waters – Ayre, Stromar, West of Orkney, Pentland, Moray East and Moray West – alongside the existing 588MW Beatrice array off the coast of Wick, will be transformative for our region. Already, our harbours are gearing up to attract crucial operations and maintenance bases, and developers are investing in the Caithness Business Fund and UHI North, West and Hebrides to deliver the training required for the next generation of engineers, technicians, scientists and operational staff. These projects broaden career options for our young people, offering more varied opportunities in Caithness and Sutherland today than ever before.
No time to lose
When the Just Transition Commission visited last May, they saw first-hand our unique sectoral mix spanning wind, tidal, nuclear, space and conservation. They recognised the world-class expertise developing at UHI, and highlighted NRS Dounreay as a best-practice example of how one industry can support a workforce transitioning into the future.
Crucially, the Commission’s final report calls on Government to ensure that renewable development is matched by the same long-term, structured socioeconomic investment that has underpinned our nuclear sector for decades – investment that supports communities, skills, infrastructure and economic resilience alongside industrial growth. Indeed, the report presses for even greater urgency, as its title No Time to Lose makes clear.
For the Focus North partnership, the key takeaway is the Commission’s recognition of the north as a “globally significant” region, “central” to meeting the UK’s carbon budget by 2030.
Of course, we are not waiting for others to define our future. We have unapologetically championed the north – our north, on the stunning Caithness and Sutherland coast – highlighting its natural resources, industrial expertise and resilient communities.
A new economy
The numbers alone are compelling. Renewable energy expansion is projected to support around 800 permanent jobs by 2035, building a stable, long-term employment base across Caithness and north Sutherland.
At the same time, peatland restoration across the Flow Country UNESCO World Heritage Site will require more than 100 additional roles to meet restoration targets – strengthening the region’s carbon sequestration capacity, creating high-value, land-based employment and seeking to generate wealth for our communities.
But opportunity here is not accidental. It is coordinated.
Aligning industry, skills and community
The Commission cites Focus North as an example of effective regional coordination – and that coordination is fast becoming a competitive advantage for developers and investors operating in the region.
A cornerstone of this approach is the creation of a dedicated industry forum, bringing renewable developers together with education providers, public agencies and local stakeholders.
The benefits are tangible: improved supply chain visibility, aligned workforce planning, strengthened community benefit governance and coordinated infrastructure investment.
For investors, this reduces fragmentation. For developers, it reduces friction. For communities, it increases long-term economic return.
Building the workforce to match the opportunity
Major renewable growth requires parallel investment in people.
Focus North partners have secured and expanded:
- Apprenticeship funding aligned with energy and environmental sectors
- World-class peatland research through UHI, reinforcing global leadership in restoration science
- Funding for peatland restoration training, ensuring the region can deliver on its climate commitments
- Net Zero Nation carbon reduction courses, delivered free to local SMEs to embed decarbonisation across the supply chain
- The Live North talent attraction programme, promoting the region as a place to live, work and study
- Engagement with our young people to excite them about the career prospects here now and in the future.
This is not simply about creating jobs. It is about building a skilled, future-ready workforce on our doorstep.
A distinct transition story
We are not blind to the challenges we must collectively overcome. Further south, the transition narrative focuses largely on oil and gas reskilling – an important priority here too. But our position is distinct: alongside renewables growth, we are managing nuclear decommissioning while leveraging a highly skilled technical workforce.
Here, the pressing challenges are transmission costs, housing supply and infrastructure capacity – all of which can be addressed through coordinated planning and sustained investment.
Ours is a region moving with purpose: aligning developers, educators, public bodies and communities around a shared economic vision.
The energy transition will define the next generation of industrial growth – and we will be leading from the front.