RMT responds to record breaking offshore wind energy procurement

Offshore workers union RMT has commented on a record 8.4GW of wind energy secured in Europe’s biggest ever auction of the renewable.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said:

The government’s announcement of a record-breaking offshore wind auction shows the scale of what is possible when there is political will to invest in clean energy and long-term infrastructure.

Expanding offshore wind capacity is essential if Britain is to cut emissions and secure its energy supply.

However, a real Just Transition cannot be measured by headline figures alone.

Claims of 7,000 jobs from £22bn of investment significantly understate the real workforce involved, particularly the thousands of seafarers needed during construction and installation.

The skills, experience, and safety-critical expertise of workers across the oil and gas supply chain are indispensable to the future of offshore energy and must not be wasted or written off.

As we move towards greener energy, workers must be guaranteed secure jobs, collective bargaining agreements and fully funded retraining opportunities that allow them to transfer directly into offshore wind and other renewables on equivalent pay, terms, and conditions.

Climate action cannot succeed if it is built on insecurity, casualisation or the erosion of hard-won standards.

Wind energy target

The BBC reports that the government is aiming for at least 43GW of offshore wind power by 2030. This will help it meet clean energy targets. Both the Tories and Reform push the line that wind is expensive. But energy secretary Ed Miliband told BBC News:

We’re confident that the renewables auction as a whole will help bring down bills for consumers. The truth is, those who say we should stick with fossil fuels are making a massive gamble, and they’re gambling with the British people’s energy bills.

However, all talk of targets could be rather irrelevant if the UK continues with its dash for AI.

Featured image via the Canary