Bosses at Scotland’s largest private polluter have been left “dismayed” after MSPs investigating cleaning up the industrial hub where the firm operates hit out at the company refusing to give formal evidence.
Holyrood’s Economy Committee is investigating a strategy to decarbonise Grangemouth, where petrochemicals giant Ineos has operations.
But the company has refused to appear in front of MSPs on the issue after snubbing another Holyrood committee in 2021 over plans for Scotland to reach net zero.
Read more: MSPs disappointed after Ineos bosses snub Grangemouth net zero probe
Convener of Holyrood’s Economy Committee, Claire Baker said Ineos would not engage formally with the inquiry despite an “informative” visit to the Grangemouth site by MSPs.
She added: “The committee was keen to hear from Ineos, on the record, to highlight the ongoing work the company has undertaken around the transition, especially in relation to employee relations.
“It is regrettable that Ineos has turned down the committee’s invitation.”
But Ineos has insisted that evidence has been presented to the committee through its partns including Forth Ports.
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An Ineos Grangemouth spokesperson said: We provided formal written responses to the Inquiry into the just transition for the Grangemouth area, in collaboration with our partners – Forth Green Freeport and the Grangemouth Future Industry Board.
“Additionally, Forth Ports, in their role as lead in the Forth Green Freeport, have provided evidence at committee, including information we supplied.
“We have also hosted the committee to our Grangemouth site for the morning of March 20 to discuss and openly share our net zero roadmap, our commitment to achieve net zero by 2045 and our activities and engagement with the community in which we operate.”
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He added: “We are somewhat dismayed that in social media posts from the committee, they have focused on the idea that we have not provided ‘formal’ evidence.
“This is not balanced with recognition of the ‘formal’ evidence provided via our partners nor our engagement during more than three and a half hours that the committee spent at our site.”
Grangemouth is home to the major petrochemical operation, which includes oil, chemical and power plants, and emits about 3 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
Ineos has set a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2045, including plans to develop a “world-scale, low-carbon” hydrogen manufacturing plant at the site.
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