Sturgeon skewered over COP27 visit

Nicola Sturgeon came under scrutiny for the financial and environmental costs of her decision to travel to Sharm El Sheikh for the COP27 conference. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has arrived in Egypt for the climate summit and the Scottish First Minister has also attended, accompanied by the leader of Glasgow City Council Susan Aitken. During an appearance on Sky News, Kay Burley questioned Ms Sturgeon over whether Scotland’s involvement in the COP summit could have been conducted remotely given Westminster’s leader was already present.Speaking of the First Minister’s decision to attend COP27, the Sky News host asked: ‘Isn’t that what Rishi Sunak is doing already? Could you not have done what you needed to do remotely?’Ms Sturgeon responded: ‘No, this is the fifth COP that I have participated in and it’s really important to be here, to be having the discussion, to be playing our part in finding the solutions.’Rishi Sunak is here – I welcome that, I think it is right that he is here.  ‘If you look in a UK context at many of the decisions that will determine whether the UK as a whole meets its own climate obligations, many of them, for Scotland, are responsibilities of the Scottish Government – renewable energy, for example, energy efficiency, changing how we travel – so it is really important that everybody with a part to play does that to the full.’ The Scottish First Minister was quizzed on her decision to attend COP27 (Image: SKY NEWS ) The Prime Minister has travelled to Egypt for the climate summit (Image: GETTY)The First Minister said that she had travelled to Egypt to form the ‘vital’ connections with global leaders needed to address the climate crisis.She added: ‘If you speak to many campaigners, many governments particularly from the global south, they warmly welcome Scotland’s contribution here generally on this issue, but particularly on the issue of loss and damage. ‘Without the intervention last year of the Scottish Government, it is unlikely that we would be seeing that issue with the prominence it has now in Egypt.’Loss and damage is the idea that the world’s wealthier countries who are often the biggest contributors to pollution and carbon emissions should pay compensation to more vulnerable states impacted by climate change.The idea was championed at the COP26 summit held in Glasgow last year.Read more: Rishi Sunak urged not to ‘splash the cash’ at Cop27 given home crisis Nicola Strugeon said she planned to make connections with global leaders during COP27 (Image: Sky News ) Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken will join the First Minister at COP27 (Image: GETTY)The First Minister came under fire for the decision to allow Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken to travel to COP27 given the councillor has just announced a nearly £120 million shortfall in the city’s budget.Ms Sturgeon said: ‘Glasgow was the host of COP last year. Susan [Aitken] is here to hand over the COP responsibility to Egypt to Sharm El Sheikh this year.’Glasgow is Scotland’s biggest city. Scotland won’t meet its climate change targets if the city of Glasgow doesn’t do that.’The four-day trip for Ms Aitken is set to cost in excess of an eye-watering £7,000 for flights, transfers and accommodation, according to reports from Scottish media. DON’T MISS:Sunak urges nations to use green fight to spark mass job creation [INSIGHT]SNP bashes royal decision on COP27 – ‘What’s the point of being King’ [REPORT]Net zero isn’t a hippy dream it’s UK’s industrial future ANGELA RAYNER [COMMENT] The First Minister backed her decision to represent Scotland at the climate conference (Image: GETTY)When questioned on the financial and environmental costs for members of the Scottish government jetting to Egypt, the First Minister defended the decision.She said: ‘There are representatives around me of devolved governments and states and other countries. ‘There will be governments of all levels representing here. We would be abdicating our responsibility if we weren’t here playing our part in meeting these challenges.’Read next: Rishi Sunak sent huge warning by Just Stop Oil ahead of COP27Rishi Sunak urged to commit to climate crisis fight ahead of COP27’UK not immune to climate crisis – we must act to avoid catastrophe”Britain is still a global pioneer on the environment’Glasgow council on brink of forking out ‘£1 billion’ in pay row