Oil and gas representatives have held more than 300 meetings with SNP ministers since November 2021 climate summit, a Sunday Mail probe found.

04:30, 09 Nov 2025

Fossil fuel industry lobbying of the Scottish Government has exploded in the four years since the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, the Sunday Mail can reveal.

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Representatives for the oil and gas industry have held more than 300 meetings with SNP ministers – around 80 meetings a year on average, or more than six per month.

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That marks a trebling of the rate of lobbying activity compared to the four years prior to the UN conference in late 2021, which committed nations to curbing fossil fuels for the first time.

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But in the years since, global climate efforts have stalled amid the re-election of Donald Trump and record expansion of oil, gas and coal.

In Scotland, it comes as First Minister John Swinney is accused of backtracking on key climate pledges including around drilling in the North Sea.

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A draft Energy Strategy published in January 2023 under Nicola Sturgeon set out plans for a “presumption against” new drilling projects – but a final version of the document never appeared.

Meanwhile, a long-delayed Climate Change Plan finally published last week was slammed for being too timid.

Swinney – who our investigation found held meetings with BP and Shell execs within a fortnight of taking office last May – has also refused to come out against the controversial Rosebank scheme off Shetland.

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The UK’s largest untapped oil field, Rosebank is currently at the centre of a court battle to decide if it goes ahead. The scheme was opposed by both Sturgeon and her immediate successor Humza Yousaf on green grounds.

Meanwhile, senior SNP figures such as Westminster chief Stephen Flynn is backing calls by North Sea giants to scrap the UK’s windfall tax on energy firm profits.

Friends of the Earth Scotland oil and gas campaigns manager Rosie Hampton said: “ COP26 should have been a turning point for Scotland away from fossil fuels but these shameful revelations show that the Scottish ministers have an open door policy for oil and gas lobbyists.

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“These are the same companies who’ve made billions in profits from soaring energy bills while a third of households in Scotland are in fuel poverty.

“It’s no surprise that while courting oil and gas industry bosses, the Scottish Government has gone backwards on climate under Swinney, parroting demands of lobbyists calling for lower taxes for rich companies like BP and Shell.”

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The charity Oxfam said the lobbying effort was part of a concerted global campaign by Big Oil to “stall or stop climate action so they can keep cashing in”.

In the US, climate sceptic President Trump – backed by fossil fuel billionaire donors – has vowed to “drill baby drill” and urged Britain to do the same.

Jamie Livingstone, Oxfam Scotland chief, said: “It’s galling that fossil fuel companies raking in huge profits appear to enjoy privilege access to the Scottish Government, despite driving deadly climate destruction.

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“Disturbingly, this trend isn’t unique to Scotland: powerful interests are polluting politics and policies the world over.

“Scottish ministers must resist the whispers of vested interests and take a principled stance against new oil and gas exploration or development in the North Sea.”

The Sunday Mail found a massive ramping-up of fossil fuel lobbying activity at Holyrood following COP26. Our findings show:

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• 310 meetings between Scottish Government ministers and fossil fuel interests between late November 2021 and June 2025 - an average rate of nearly two per week.

• That compared to 106 meetings from 2018 up to the start of COP26 in November 2021 - a near-trebling of activity.

• John Swinney has held nine meetings with the fossil fuel lobby since becoming FM.

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• Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy has met fossil fuel interests more than 60 times since entering government. Earlier in her career, Martin spent a decade working in PR for the oil industry.

• Meanwhile, ministers met climate groups and campaigners far less often with 80 meetings over the same period.

Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie – a minister under Sturgeon and Yousaf from 2021-2024 – said: “The problem isn’t only the number of meetings, it’s what they’re used for.

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“As minister for zero carbon buildings I met with the likes of the gas networks to make it clear to them that their ideas about using hydrogen for home heating wouldn’t work, and that we were determined to switch to clean heating.

“But in the last 12 months alone the Scottish Government has gutted plans for clean, affordable heating, which the Greens had championed in government, and quietly shelved their Energy Strategy which had a clear commitment to opposing new oil and gas drilling.

“The climate emergency cannot be wished away, and the more that politicians ignore it and water down their plans the worse it will get.”

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But the Tories, who last week declared an “oil and gas emergency” in the north-east, say the industry’s 90,000 Scots workers are being put at risk.

Shadow energy and environment secretary Douglas Lumsden said: “ John Swinney might be cosying up to the oil and gas sector in private, but is no friend of the industry. His actions are resulting in hundreds of jobs lost each fortnight and the SNP still have a pre-sumption against granting any new licences.”

Oil and gas trade body OEUK said: “We are proud to represent our members as they work to build the future of the North Sea... government engagement is a normal and responsible activity for any sector that cares deeply about its future.”

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It comes as world leaders, including Keir Starmer, are at COP30 in Brazil where hopes of a major breakthrough in slashing global emissions hang by a thread.

Glasgow hosted world leaders at COP26 four years ago this month.

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The two-week summit drew huge delegations to the city amid hopes of a climate breakthrough, with the Scottish Government under Nicola Sturgeon hailed for its leadership.

However, the last four years have witnessed stuttering climate action and a net zero backlash – amid record global temperatures and a terrifying rise in extreme heatwaves, wildfires, storms and floods worldwide.

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “People in the north-east of Scotland, Grangemouth, and throughout the country would expect the Scottish Government to engage constructively with these industries, many of whom are involved in renewable energy in addition to traditional energy sources.

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“Scotland is now more than halfway to net zero. As part of our ongoing action on climate change, the Scottish Government is working with the sector to ensure a just transition for Scotland’s highly skilled oil and gas workforce.”