The paradox at the heart of Nicola Sturgeon’s green ‘revolution’

In some ways it was refreshing to see the radical left brought to heel by the realities of government. Having spent years campaigning to ‘ditch neoliberal economics for good’, this week saw the Scottish Green Party celebrate Shell and BP winning contracts to exploit Scotland’s offshore wind potential for the enrichment of their shareholders. Far from being a strike against neoliberalism, the Greens have provided a ringing endorsement of capitalism’s place in the transition away from fossil fuels.

This came on the back of the ScotWind Leasing project, which has seen the Scottish government auction off seabed plots for major offshore wind projects around the Scottish coast. In the first such leasing round in a decade, 17 projects were chosen, covering 7,000 square kilometres. The project raised £700 million in option fees for the Scottish government. BP Alternative Energy Investments is paying £85.9 million for its area off the coast of Aberdeen, while Shell New Energies is forking out £86 million for its site, also off the east coast.