The analysis conducted by the KBPO coalition highlights that the number of fossil fuel lobbyists attending COP28 is nearly four times higher than the previous year.
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Unprecedented presence of fossil fuel lobbyists at COP28 is adding to the controversies surrounding this year’s UN climate talks in Dubai, which are entering their second week.
A new analysis conducted by the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition has revealed a staggering influx of fossil fuel lobbyists at the event. With at least 2,456 representatives from the world’s largest polluters granted access to the talks, concerns are mounting about the undue influence of the fossil fuel industry on crucial climate negotiations.
According to the KBPO coalition, the number of fossil fuel lobbyists attending COP28 is nearly four times higher than the previous year, when approximately 700 industry representatives attended the talks in Egypt.
The analysis revealed that the number of fossil fuel lobbyists granted access to COP28 surpasses the delegation sizes of nearly every country participating in the summit. Only Brazil and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this year’s host, have brought larger contingents. The number of lobbyists granted entry to the Dubai talks is also over seven times higher than the official representation of indigenous groups, who play a crucial role in addressing climate change impacts and advocating for their communities.
Country delegations themselves have also included representatives from fossil fuel giants, with France, Italy, and the European Union bringing employees from companies like TotalEnergies, EDF, ENI, BP, and ExxonMobil. This suggests that some nations may prioritize their domestic energy interests over ambitious climate goals.
“To share seats with the Big Polluters in climate change conversations is to dine with the devil,” said Ogunlade Olamide Martins, Program Manager at the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA). “This unholy matrimony will only endorse “conflict of interest” and further facilitate the silence of honest agitation. COP’s conclusions must be independent of industries’ parasitic influences and must only address the concerns of the vulnerable masses.”
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This surge in industry representation coincides with a COP summit where the phase-out of fossil fuels is a central focus. Speaking ahead of the summit, Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 president and head of state oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), claimed that phasing out fossil fuels would not help reach climate change goals. “There is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says that the phase-out of fossil fuel is what’s going to achieve 1.5C,” he said.
The KBPO analysis follows another controversy around the COP28 presidency, as leaked documents published last week showed that the UAE, an oil-rich country and among the world’s ten largest oil producers, was planning to use the summit to pitch oil and gas deals.
Featured image: UNclimatechange/Flickr
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