1. Environment Council of Ministers, Luxembourg 21 June 2011

2. Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Environment and Climate Change attended as part of UK delegation with: –Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, Chris Huhne; –Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Caroline Spelman

3. Low Carbon Roadmap Discussion around draft text on the Commission’s Low Carbon Roadmap, and the 2020 target. Final version of the Conclusions included an explicit reference to a 25% target for 2020 and a commitment to further work to realise this. Final vote - Polish delegation rejected the text and so Council unable to agree conclusions on higher emissions targets.

4. Conclusions adopted Protection of water resources EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 Other topics discussed Major accident hazards involving dangerous substances (the Seveso directive) Cultivation of genetically modified organisms

5. Meetings Ms Lykke Friss, Minister for Climate and Energy and Minister for Gender – Mr Stevenson presented the clear evidence from Scotland on the economic benefits of the low carbon economy. Slovenian Minister for the Environment, Mr Roko Zarnic - agreed further collaboration on promoting decentralised energy systems and community engagement in rural areas; joint work to incentivise soils and peatlands as carbon sinks in international mechanisms; Latvian Minister of Environmental Protection, Mr Raimonds Vejonis – Mr Stevenson set out a clear case for the economic benefits of a 30% target; agreed to work together to incentivise soils and peatlands as carbon sinks; agreed on innovative financial mechanisms to support energy efficiency, which will be the focus of this year’s Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference; Maltese Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs, Mr George Pullicino - welcomed his visit to Scotland to see our renewable energy resources in Orkney and at the Beatrice offshore wind demonstrator during July; underlined Scotland’s support for the work of the Scottish European Green Energy Centre in helping Malta realise its own renewable resource.

6. Next Environment Councils 10 October, Brussels 19 December, Brussels