Aberdeen shows why the UK’s clean-energy transition will be messy
The jobs in renewables can’t come fast enough to replace those related to oil and gas
Along Union Street in Aberdeen, boarded-up shops offer little hint of the Scottish city’s past prosperity. At its peak, fuelled by the discovery in 1969 of oil and gas in the North Sea, Aberdeen boasted Britain’s highest concentration of millionaires, surpassing London. Now, the diminishing role of oil and gas has left its mark. Aberdeen’s housing market has crashed and young people have left in droves. As the world transitions to a low-carbon future, the city is repositioning itself as a renewables powerhouse. But can it shed its reliance on fossil fuels?
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The green stuff”
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