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John Swinney is snubbing annual climate talks for the second year in a row - but three officials and an SNP minister will be jetting off to Brazil next month. The First Minster, who has insisted that tackling climate change is one of his four priorities in government, will not be attending COP30 in Brazil - despite experts billing the summit as the most significant gathering since COP15 in Paris a decade ago. SNP Climate Action and Energy Secretary, Gillian Martin, and three of her officials, will be travelling to Brazil for the summit. Confirming Mr Swinney will not be taking part in COP30, Ms Martin said: “The Scottish Government will be sending a delegation to Brazil led by myself, alongside three supporting officials. READ MORE: SNP 'slowing' climate action as MSPs approve targets before seeing strategy to achieve them “The Scottish Government’s key priorities include engaging with partners to strengthen subnational climate cooperation, promoting Scotland’s domestic climate and energy achievements as well as our successful climate justice and loss and damage programming and advocating for greater recognition of states, regions and devolved governments within global climate policies and processes and for the scaling up of good quality climate finance that meets the needs of the most vulnerable.” COP30 will take place from November 10 to November 21 in Brazil’s Amazon gateway city of Belem. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is attending COP30, despite speculation he was going to shun the event. Scottish politics has never been more important - get The Steamie newsletter today A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said Sir Keir will travel to the Amazon “because net zero is the economic opportunity of the 21st century, one that has the potential to reignite our industrial heartlands, create good jobs for the future, and lower bills in the long term”. Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon, said: “In the First Minister’s absence, Scotland's representation at COP30 by the Climate Secretary is important because we must show strong and active climate leadership at home and globally. “SNP ministers must take urgent and practical action to tackle the risk climate crisis poses to our everyday lives. Too many climate targets have already been missed by the SNP, and John Swinney is rightly being urged to deliver a just transition for workers and communities across Scotland. “The climate crisis is not an abstract issue; it is the biggest threat to our economy, our living standards, and the health and wellbeing of every Scot.” But climate campaigners have criticised the First Minister for not attending COP30. Friends of the Earth Scotland campaigns manager, Rosie Hampton, said: “With his absence from the UN climate talks, once again John Swinney’s rhetoric on climate isn't matched by his actions. “Despite claiming climate as a key priority, his government has seemingly abandoned its energy strategy, scrapped plans to reduce cars on our streets and voted through weakened climate commitments. “The First Minister cant even bring himself to join his predecessors Sturgeon and Yousaf by objecting to the climate disaster of the Rosebank oil field. New oil means more climate pollution, more profits for greedy oil firms and billions of pounds going into fossil fuels rather than renewables. “Due out soon, the forthcoming climate plan is a chance for this government to recommit to the transformative action needed that will improve lives, phase out fossil fuel and create secure jobs building the green infrastructure we need.”
