On 29 November the British Ports Association (BPA) and the UK Chamber of Shipping (UKCOS) jointly hosted their annual Scottish Parliamentary Maritime reception in Holyrood with a sizeable grouping of MSPs to discuss the sustainability and energy revolution in the sector.
Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Business, Trade, & Tourism addressed the packed room, highlighting the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting the sector in a fair and challenging way. Guests also heard from Stuart Cresswell, Chair of the Scottish Ports Group and Sarah Treseder, CEO of the UKCOS who joined Mr Ivan McKee.
Sponsored by Liam McArthur, the Parliament’s Deputy Presiding Officer and MSP for the Orkney Isles, one of Scotland’s many key maritime hubs, the event was well-attended by MSPs and industry leaders from across the Scottish ports and shipping sectors.
“We are living through a very important time for not only our industry, but for the nation as a whole, as we transition towards the new world of low carbon. It is clear to everyone that Scotland’s Ports have an absolute pivotal role to play in delivering this vision.
To achieve this it is essential that the offshore wind developments agreed under the Scotwind leasing round are delivered within sensible timeframes and actively supported by both the private sector developers, relevant government agencies and regulators.
We also look forward to forthcoming announcement on Green Freeports and we support the Scottish Government’s aspirations to see much more direct manufacturing carried out in port-centric locations with a greater emphasis on both “Made in Scotland” and high quality Scottish Jobs.
Beyond this however we would also ask for a continued focus on all regional ports in the form of cooperative and collegiate working between port operators, Scotland’s inward investment agencies, local authorities, Transport Scotland, and other agencies.
Because in very simple terms we will achieve more if we are all pushing in the same direction”
It was excellent to see the sector reconvene in-person, as the reception returned after two years of restrictions on indoor gatherings. The BPA also hosted a productive Scottish Ports Group meeting with record turnout.