COP30 attendees and costs: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for ‘the number, including names, of all politicians and civil servants from the Scottish Government who attended COP30 and the cost to the tax payer for them to attend.’

Response

The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy attended COP30 from 10-13 November 2025, with one Deputy Director (Katherine White), one Policy Official and one Private Secretary.

Associated costs for supporting officials in Belem, COP30, were:

• Flights x 3 Officials - £19,060
• Accommodation x 3 Officials - £18,698
• Subsistence and travel x 3 Officials - £414
• Other associated costs (vaccinations) - £252

More information on the visit is here:

Written question and answer: S6W-41890 | Scottish Parliament Website Scottish

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 27(1) information held with a view to publication applies your question regarding the cost of the Cabinet Secretary’s attendance at COP30. This exemption applies because details of all Ministerial engagements and expenses are proactively published by the Scottish Government, including the costs of travel and accommodation. The proactive release covering November 2025 will be published here: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot

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. We recognise that there is some public interest in release, but this will be met by our planned publication. In the meantime, there is a greater public interest in taking the time necessary to ensure the information has been properly collated and checked before it is published as planned. Also, we see no public interest in disrupting our programme of work to release the information ahead of the intended publication date.

Section 38(1)(b) personal data the disclosure of which would contravene data protection principles applies to your question regarding the names of officials. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

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.