This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scotland prepares for green industrial revolution
17/06/2005
Businesses in Scotland have been urged to seize the economic opportunities that accompany measures to save the planet.
A new green jobs strategy has been launched by Enterprise Minister Jim Wallace.
It sets out the real business opportunities for Scottish firms arising from the global shift towards a sustainable future.
It contains an implementation plan, detailing actions for the Executive and other agencies, which includes:
- Ensuring that all companies awarded Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) of over £1 million consider the environmental impacts of their projects, and offering free energy audits to all companies awarded RSA grant funding
- Using public purchasing rules to enhance the status of recycled goods by setting targets for the public sector to specify a minimum level of recycled content in contracts
- Using the existing green jobs fund - worth £22 million until 2007/08 - to drive forward some of the recommendations from the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) on support for technologies such as marine, biomass and hydrogen
Mr Wallace said:
"The drive for a sustainable world is sometimes seen by business as an economic cost. In fact, it is a superb economic opportunity.
"Our green jobs strategy makes the business case for sustainable development, highlighting the wealth of economic and employment opportunities arising from this. There is great potential in sectors like waste management, recycling and renewable energy where we have ambitious targets to help drive the development of innovative technologies and solutions.
"Already Scottish companies are actively seizing opportunities - I was delighted to see Camcal in Stornoway announce this week that it had won a contract from Ocean Power Delivery to construct three Pelamis wave power devices. Camcal has been supported by our main economic development agencies, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise and I hope to see more successful collaborations of this nature in the future.
"However, the opportunities are not limited to businesses in the obviously 'green' sectors. Companies of all types and sizes can improve their productivity and competitiveness by becoming more resource efficient, and by being receptive to new technologies and ideas. Reducing the waste we produce and the energy we use will help promote business growth, helping to both sustain existing jobs and create new ones.
"Time and time again, internationally competitive companies are shown to be those who constantly innovate.
"The figures speak for themselves. In their work at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports and Glasgow Fort retail park, construction firm Laing O'Rourke have saved £45,000 by using recycled rather than primary aggregates and a further £515,000 of savings have been made by recycling rather than sending waste to landfill.
"Another firm, the Edrington Group whisky producers, is currently participating in a lean manufacturing programme supported by Scottish Enterprise. Initial indications are that by minimising waste and reducing energy use and downtime they can achieve an increase in the efficiency of their malt whisky bottling lines of 47 per cent.
"This demonstrates clearly that by greening their operations, companies can achieve very real financial savings and that environmental improvement and economic competitiveness can go hand in hand.
"We are on the brink of a new industrial revolution. Using resources efficiently; doing more with less; increasing profits while at the same time improving the quality of life for all is the way forward. With the help of all of Scotland's businesses we can become a world leader in this vital field, creating opportunities for all."
Dr Peter Hughes, chief executive of Scottish Engineering, said:
"The green jobs strategy provides an excellent opportunity to encourage the manufacturing engineering sector to be leaner and greener and thus to be more profitable.
"There will be an across the board advantage for all manufacturing units throughout Scotland if they take up some of the proposals for efficient energy use and better use of resources suggested by the strategy.
"This will undoubtedly have the knock-on effect of improving the competitiveness of Scotland's manufacturing sector.
"As well as offering advice in this important field, the Executive are also providing much appreciated practical support to companies who are willing to grasp the opportunities which are being highlighted."
Ian Good, chairman of the Edrington Group Ltd, said:
"At the Edrington Group, resource efficiency is a high priority for us because as well as making sound environmental sense, it makes good business sense. I am delighted to see that the link between resource efficiency and competitiveness has been made very clearly in the Scottish Executive's green jobs strategy."