Scotland unveils green ports for economic recovery

The Scottish Government has unveiled plans for a new model of green ports focused on inclusive growth, fair work practices and helping the country deliver on a net-zero economy.

These will look to adapt the UK's Freeport proposals, offering streamlined planning processes and a package of tax and customs reliefs.

The ports would encourage port operators and businesses within various industries, such as offshore wind, that would otherwise benefit from the package to adhere to certain criterium such as paying a living wage, adopting the Scottish Business Pledge, ensuring a committal to supporting sustainable and inclusive growth in local communities as well as ultimately contributing to Scotland's net-zero endgame.

Discussions with the UK government are set to commence next week.

Scottish trade minister Ian McKee, who proposed the idea, said there is an appetite for new ways to support the Scottish economy through the recovery process.

He said: “It is clear that freeports cannot and will not undo the damage being caused to Scotland’s economy by the UK Government’s decision to take us out of the EU, the world’s biggest single market.

“Instead, we propose to take the freeport model and apply Scotland’s priorities to it, so that it meets our ambition to deliver a net-zero, wellbeing economy that upholds the highest standards of environmental protections and fair work practices and supports our strategy of building clusters of high productivity businesses across Scotland’s regions.

“The Scottish green port model will be an exemplar, adopting best practice which helps deliver our net-zero emissions and fair work principles, alongside supporting regeneration and innovation ambitions."

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