Details of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy's visit to COP 30: FOI release

Information requested

1. A list of individuals the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy and/or her officials met with at COP 30.

2. Any briefings provided to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy ahead of her visit to COP 30.

3. Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between the office of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy and individuals she met with at COP 30. Information should include but not be limited to a detailed timeline (with dates) of any contact between these individuals. Please provide this information between the dates of 1 August 2025 and 20 November 2025 inclusive.

4. Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between Scottish Government officials with a rank of deputy director or higher y and individuals the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy met with at COP 30. Information should include but not be limited to a detailed timeline (with dates) of any contact between these individuals. Please provide this information between the dates of 1 August 2025 and 20 November 2025 inclusive.

5. Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between the office of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy and Scottish Government officials with a rank of deputy director or higher regarding COP 30. Information should include but not be limited to a detailed timeline (with dates) of any contact between these individuals. Please provide this information between the dates of 1 August 2025 and 20 November 2025 inclusive.

Response

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in the attached documents. Please find details below of where you can find the relevant information for each of your questions:

1. Document 1
2. Documents 2-5
3. Document 6
4. Document 7
5. Documents 8-15

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 exemptions under various sections of the FOISA. Please see the exemptions that have been applied, along with an explanation for why they have been applied, below:

• s.29(1)(a) - Formulation or development of Scottish Government policy: this exemption has been applied where information relates to Scottish Government policy that is still under development.
• s.29(1)(d) – Ministerial private office: this has been applied to information related to the operation of a Ministerial private office.
• s.30(b)(i) - Free and frank provision of advice: this has been applied where disclosure of information would cause substantial harm to the free and frank provision of advice to Ministers.
• s.30(c) - Otherwise prejudice effective conduct of public affairs: this has been applied to a SCANCE note issued to Cabinet, where the disclosure of the information contained would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs.
• s.32 – International relations: exemptions have been applied under this section where disclosure of information would substantially prejudice relations between the UK and any other state, or any international organisation or international court, or harm the interest of the UK abroad.
• s.33(1)(b) - Commercial interests: information has been withheld where it would substantially prejudice the commercial interests of any person or organisation.
• s.38(1)(b) - Personal data relating to third party: information has been withheld that relates to the personal data of third parties where appropriate.

In some cases you have requested information that the Scottish Government does not hold, specifically your requests for detailed timelines of contacts between individuals.

Some of these exemptions are 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 exemptions. We recognise that there is some public interest in release in the interest of transparent and open government. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in: protecting Scottish Government ability to formulate policy; allowing for the free and frank provision of advice to Scottish Ministers; protecting UK interests abroad; protecting the commercial interests of persons or organisations.

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.

FOI 202500494736 - Information released - Documents

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6.4 MB