1,773 fossil industry lobbyists attended COP

Dr. Seema Javed
At least 1,773 fossil industry lobbyists attended COP29, according to an analysis by the KBPO group. This is more than the combined number of delegates from the ten countries with the worst climate vulnerability. This demonstrates the fossil fuel industry’s ongoing powerful influence at climate negotiations.

The necessity for stronger conflict of interest rules at COP was further highlighted by the analysis, which also showed that a large number of lobbyists attended as members of official national delegations or trade associations. An investigation shows that at least 2,456 lobbyists for fossil fuels have been allowed access to the Cop28 climate talks.

The Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition group estimated a record number that raises more concerns about the fossil fuel industry’s influence with the president of the national oil firm of the United Arab Emirates in charge of this year’s UN summit.
With over four times as many industry-affiliated lobbyists as there were registered for Cop27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, which was a record year in terms of itself, the extent of oil and gas influence in Dubai is unmatched.

Every country’s delegation is outnumbered by fossil fuel lobbyists trying to further the interests of oil and gas giants like Shell, Total, and ExxonMobil. The only exceptions are host nation ( Azerbaijan), which registered 4,409 attendees, and Brazil which registered 3,081 attendees , which is anticipated to hold COP30 in 2025.

The scale of oil and gas influence in Dubai is unprecedented, with almost four times as many industry-affiliated lobbyists than the number registered for Cop27 in Sharm el-Sheikh – which itself was a record year.

Lobbyists vying to push the interests of oil and gas companies such as Shell, Total and ExxonMobil outnumber every country delegation apart from Brazil (3,081), which is expected to run Cop30 in 2025, and the host country, which registered 4,409 attenders.

Fossil fuel lobbyists also outnumber official Indigenous representatives (316) by seven to one – another sign, say campaigners, that oil and gas industry profits are being prioritised over a sustainable planet and frontline communities.

Caroline Muturi, a coordinator at the campaign group Ibon Africa, said: “These findings tell us that the dynamics within these spaces remain fundamentally colonial. Cops have become an avenue for these corporations to greenwash their polluting businesses and foist dangerous distractions from real climate action.”

The revelations come during another catastrophic year for the climate, with supercharged extreme weather events striking every corner of the world, from unprecedented rainfall in Libya, severe drought threatening the Amazon, and a sharp increase in heat deaths from Arizona to southern Europe.

Scientists say such destructive storms, drought and heat would have been almost impossible without the warming caused by burning fossil fuels, which must be phased out to avoid total climate breakdown.

Momentum to secure a commitment to phase out fossil fuels at Cop28 has been growing, especially among the most vulnerable countries, but many of the biggest polluting countries are holding out.