The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) said Thursday that Scotland’s Green Industrial Strategy is outdated and not used in the US or Europe, Kallanish reports.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes unveiled on 11 September the country’s much-anticipated strategy aimed at putting Scotland at the forefront of the net-zero economy. It sets five priority areas where efforts and resources will be concentrated; one of which is growing the hydrogen sector.

“This Green Industrial Strategy spells out where we believe the greatest opportunities lie, and where we will focus our attention and resources,” says Forbes. “It provides certainty for businesses – both at home and abroad – by demonstrating where and how we will work to reduce barriers to investment, and, where appropriate, share risk and reward.”

Rather than setting up investment, production and export targets for hydrogen, for example, the strategy says the government will put in place the “right systems and processes and make targeted interventions” to enable capital investment in large-scale projects and infrastructure.

The plan is to grow the hydrogen sector and build on Scotland’s comparative advantage of renewables to become a “leading nation” in the production and export of “reliable, competitive and sustainable hydrogen, hydrogen products and related skills and services.”

“This is yet another example of government strategy that talks up potential without matching it with the necessary policy,” the STUC comments. “After two decades, the Scottish government should know that ambition without concrete action to build green industries and create jobs across our communities is worthless.”

It argues that limiting the government’s role to “handcrafting Scotland’s natural resources for private investors and multinational companies” is outdated.

“International investment to build on the huge opportunities from Scotland’s wind, hydrogen and carbon capture potential is welcome if the terms are set clearly – jobs in our communities, trade union recognition, and a fair share of the benefits across the country,” it continues. “This is being done all over the world and the Scottish government has the power to do far more.”

Speaking to reporters, Forbes said the government is currently working on a hydrogen export plan which is set to be out by year-end. She highlights that hydrogen export will be a “game changer” for the Scottish economy, echoing the previous government’s ambitions and expectations.

Officials are currently holding talks with “German counterparts” and discussing potential avenues for exports to Germany and other parts of Europe. This wouldn’t be limited to pipeline export, as Forbes mentions there is “a lot of innovation” around hydrogen export via ship – either as liquid hydrogen or ammonia.

The country has identified opportunities to create 13 regional hydrogen hubs to date. It currently plans to produce 5 gigawatts of low-carbon hydrogen by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045.