While Scotland is committed to achieving Net Zero by 2045, fossil fuels are still expected to play a role during the transition. This is largely due to the country’s continued reliance on oil and gas for energy, industry and heating, as well as the need for dependable backup power when renewable sources such as wind or solar generate less electricity.
In the short to medium term, fossil fuels can provide stability and flexibility to the energy grid while Scotland continues to expand renewable energy infrastructure and develop large-scale energy storage. Some industries, particularly heavy manufacturing and petrochemicals, remain highly dependent on fossil fuels. Transitioning these sectors will take time as alternative technologies, such as green hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS), continue to develop and become commercially viable.
The oil and gas sector also remains an important part of Scotland’s economy, supporting jobs, specialist skills and public revenue. A gradual transition allows time for workforce retraining and economic diversification, helping to reduce potential social and economic disruption in communities that depend on the industry.
The Scottish Government’sProgramme for Government 2025–2026states: “Our commitment to net zero will help boost our economic growth… tackling the climate emergency through transformational action which contributes to a just transition to net zero.”
This section provides examples of a research, teaching or innovation taking place at Robert Gordon University related to this topic.
RGU - Why are energy companies still working in oil and gas? We know our future is in low-carbon, renewable, alternative energy sources. So why do we continue extracting, producing, and consuming fossil fuels?
Professor Paul de Leeuw from RGU’s Energy Transition Institute discusses the options.
UK Government - How the government will implement its policy on support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-the-government-will-implement-its-policy-on-support-for-the-fossil-fuel-energy-sector-overseas