OIL and gas workers face a “cliff edge” as Scotland stumbles towards an “unjust transition” from fossil fuels without a government plan, according to a new report.

The independent Just Transition Commission demanded “ambitious action, investment and government leadership” to avoid “harmful effects on workers” today.

Commission co-chair Professor Dave Reay warned: “There’s a real risk now that we are looking at a repeat of previous unjust transitions in coal and steel, where a lack of anticipatory planning left workers and communities abandoned.”

Calling for a “credible plan to support workers” through the transition, his fellow co-chair Satwat Rehman said: “Their skills and experience are hugely valuable and we need a plan to make sure Scotland makes the most of them, whether in our rapidly growing clean energy sector or the wider economy.”

A spokesperson for the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero insisted: “We have taken rapid steps to deliver the next generation of good jobs for North Sea workers in a fair and orderly transition as part of our Plan for Change.”

The Scottish government was contacted for comment.