'Tis but a short drive from Grangemouth to West Lothian
Our March Top Read dovetailed nicely with our Q&A with the students of West Lothian.
There’s little doubt that for many years Grangemouth has been a giant of Scottish—and British—industry. Long symbolising Scotland’s economic backbone, these days the questions loom larger than the refinery. What becomes of a place when its defining energy source no longer defines the future? What happens when that story—of high energy, high emissions, and high stakes—isn’t just Grangemouth’s, but one shared by 220,000 businesses across England alone?
There are 220,360 energy intensive businesses operating in England at present and they are collectively responsible for 60.43 thousand tonnes of C02E emissions, whilst contributing £970,488m to GVA.
Source: Green Economy
That’s why Project Willow is our Top Read this month. Because while it speaks in terms of pipelines, pyrolysis, and policy pathways, it is, at heart, a story of reckoning. And renewal.
The report chronicles a high-stakes effort to chart a net-zero-aligned future for Scotland’s only crude oil refinery, now poised to become a fuel import terminal. Nine projects, over 300 technologies screened, and more than 120 stakeholders engaged. The result? A roadmap to low-carbon manufacturing—everything from bioethanol from timber to SAF made from oil seed crops and recycled plastic transformed into virgin-grade feedstock.
Grangemouth’s story is, of course, singular in scale. But it mirrors a wider reality for thousands of smaller, less visible but no less vulnerable operations across the UK. We’ve spoken before to the Energy Intensive Users Group—industries like steel, ceramics, and industrial gases. But even beyond these sectors, the risk is real and widespread. Data centres, shipping lines, care homes and cafés—all grappling with energy costs, emissions expectations, and the need to transition.
The crux? Planning for the future means more than chasing the newest tech. It’s about who can access and install these solutions. It’s about supply chains and workforce skills, capital flows and community consent. And above all, it’s about fairness.
Which brings us to West Lothian College, a short half-hour drive from Grangemouth on the A801 (traffic permitting, of course).
We were recently asked to respond to a series of sharp, well-considered questions from some of the students there—future business leaders perhaps, or sustainability champions and system-changers in the making. Their opening queries on Just Transition put us in mind of another of our top read candidates in this month’s Green Edge Digest Update—also on the subject of Grangemouth, this one looking at it from the viewpoint of a Case Study for Measuring Fairness —and they went on to range from the philosophical to the practical, echoing the broader themes of Project Willow.
We think it’s worth summarising the whole Q&A here, if for no other reason than to illustrate some of the serious thinking being done by the younger generation right now. We hope our responses were not considered too far off the mark.
Q&A: The Green Edge with West Lothian College
West Lothian College (WLC): If the Just Transition is described as suboptimal and highly expensive, why is it worth it?
The Green Edge (TGE): Because it’s not just a price tag—it’s a principle. And increasingly, a necessity. Yes, it’s complex and capital-intensive. But as history shows, transitions that ignore social fairness end up costing far more—in lost livelihoods, abandoned regions, and political backlash. A just transition buffers us against instability—climatic, economic, and social.
WLC: What are the biggest misconceptions about Just Transition?
TGE: That it’s only about fossil fuel or heavy industry jobs. Or that it happens automatically. In truth, it’s a coordinated, negotiated reworking of entire systems—and that requires deliberate action. Also: there’s no one-size-fits-all. A transition plan for Grangemouth won’t look like one for Dumfries and Galloway, or Shetland.
WLC: How can policies promote sustainable growth while cutting emissions?
TGE: Start with investment—fund the infrastructure of the future. Layer in regulation to ensure it’s fair and fast enough. Use market mechanisms like carbon pricing not just to penalise, but to fund support—for skills, for SMEs, for social equity.
WLC: What’s the main challenge for towns in central Scotland?
TGE: They carry a dual burden: the legacy of industrial decline and the frontline realities of climate targets. They need investment in skills, infrastructure and social resilience—not just retrofit funds, but renewed purpose.
WLC: Are businesses doing enough to keep workers in green jobs?
TGE: In our view, many are trying. But many are constrained—by skills gaps, by cashflow, by policy ambiguity. We need stronger partnerships between employers, government, and colleges like West Lothian to create meaningful pathways—and reasons to stay.
WLC: Will Scotland hit its net zero targets on time?
TGE: Hard to say. The ambition is there, but momentum isn’t always. Unless we close the gap between policy and practice—between strategy and shovel—it’s likely we’ll miss the mark. But with the right action, we could still bend the arc back toward possibility.
WLC: What advice would we give business students entering the green economy?
TGE: Be curious. Be versatile. Learn to speak the language of sustainability and strategy. The world needs accountants who understand carbon, marketers who think circular, and engineers who design for reuse. Above all, be the ones who move things—not just with ideas, but with intent.
Our final word before we move on to next month’s reads. Grangemouth is just one story—but it’s a revealing one. The transition is not a technical tweak or a market shift. It’s a redesign. And whether we’re talking refineries, steelworks or startups, better to be part of shaping that new narrative—while we still can.