Advanced Research and Innovation Agency’s (ARIA) Exploring Climate Change Programme: EIR release

Information requested

You stated in an FOI response (EIR/202400417485) last year (25 June 2024) asking regarding the Scottish Government's involvement in geoengineering/cloud-seeding projects that: "In 2010 a moratorium on geoengineering activities that would impact on biodiversity, with the exception of small scale scientific research studies undertaken in a controlled setting, was adopted under the UN Convention on Biodiversity.

1: Obviously, the Scottish Government would therefore be aware of any "small scale scientific research studies undertaken in a controlled setting" (in the above context) that actually are planned or are currently being carried out. Therefore, under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs) and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, will you please give details of such "scientific research studies" (small-scale or otherwise) that the Scottish Government is aware of or has been notified of?

2: Also, what is the Scottish Government's governance over articles posted in media new stories earlier this year (2025) about the University of Glasgow and about the UK government arms-length agency Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA) both being given the go-ahead to conduct geoengineering projects involving aerosol spraying?

3: It has become very visibly clear in recent weeks that a considerably increased amount of aerosol spraying is taking place here in south-west Scotland and I seek to know details of where and how this was mandated as well as by whom.

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the Purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA. 

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Question 1:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested as we hold no records of any small scale scientific research studies undertaken of the type referred to in your request. Therefore, with respect to your request this is a formal notice under Regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs confirming that the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

It may help if I explain that as part of the response to your request we have conducted a search of the Scottish Government’s main records filing system and have been unable to locate the information requested. I would also note that a search request was submitted to Scottish Government Officials which also resulted in no information being identified that would be within the scope of your request.

The UK Government’s Advanced Research and Innovation Agency’s (ARIA) Exploring Climate Change Programme is set to fund a number of activities and experiments. You may wish to refer to the section labelled “Controlled, small-scale outdoor experiments” which provides information that you may find helpful.

This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. It is important to note that although we do not hold the information and have applied Regulation 10(4)(a) – information not held, it is a requirement that we have to apply the public interest test. 

Wider guidance on the Environmental Information regime can be found in the Key Concepts section under ‘Information Not Held’ and ‘The Public Interest Test’ in the attached Scottish Information Commissioner Briefings and Guidance document. Further guidance on the public interest test can also be found on page 8 of the Scottish Information Commissioner guidance.

Question 2:

The Scottish Government does not have any governance over the content or nature of articles posted and/or published by media outlets as these would be entirely at the discretion of said outlets.

Question 3:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the specific information you have requested as the Scottish Government is neither participating in nor complicit with any geoengineering programme or aircraft spraying activities. Therefore, with respect to your request this is a formal notice under Regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs confirming that the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

You may wish to contact the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as they are responsible for the planning and regulation of all UK airspace. Contact information and guidance on raising a request with the CAA can be found here.

This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. It is important to note that although we do not hold the information and have applied Regulation 10(4)(a) – information not held, it is a requirement that we have to apply the public interest test.

Wider guidance on the Environmental Information regime can be found in the Key Concepts section under ‘Information Not Held’ and ‘The Public Interest Test’ in the attached Scottish Information Commissioner Briefings and Guidance document. Further guidance on the public interest test can also be found on page 8 of the Scottish Information Commissioner guidance.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.