THERE’S no doubt we need to transition from fossil fuels. Climate change is real — and even in this country, the effects are becoming frightening. In other lands, it’s now deadly, and shamefully most often it’s affecting those countries that contributed least to the situation our planet faces.

That said renewables offer a huge opportunity for both Scotland and Britain. Our geography and climate, so often a curse, are now a blessing. Wind and location, once an impediment, now offer huge opportunities with on and offshore wind, never mind other technologies such as wave and tidal.

But it cannot happen overnight nor simply be magicked up. It takes time to transition, and skills and strategies are required to achieve it. Plastics are needed for vital components in turbines, never mind diesel to get them to site on land or sea.