The COP28 climate conference in Dubai has attracted a whopping 2456 lobbyists from the coal, oil, and gas industries, according to activist analysis. Amazingly, this number is four times more than the previous year's conference in Egypt, and twice as many as the 2021 conference in Glasgow.
This alarming revelation was shared by the "Kick Big Polluters Out" coalition, which comprises Global Witness, Transparency International, Greenpeace, and the Climate Action Network, among others. The analysis, derived from data from the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCC), revealed that these lobbyists outnumbered delegations from the ten most vulnerable countries to global warming.
Lobbyists seized more access passes than the combined total of delegates from countries like Somalia, Chad, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Micronesia, Tonga, Eritrea, Sudan, Liberia, and the Solomon Islands, which have a combined delegate count of less than 1600.
David Tong from Oil Change International criticized the continued investment in climate-damaging businesses by fossil fuel industries and their government supporters, with disastrous consequences for the planet and people. He urged the removal of coal, gas, and oil lobbyists from COP28.
Alexia Leclercq from the Start:Empowerment initiative noted that the presence of big polluters like Shell, Chevron, and ExxonMobil had created distractions and hindered progress in finding ways to phase out fossil fuels for years. The initiative also highlighted that there were eight times more fossil fuel lobbyists at the conference than official representatives of indigenous communities.
With a record participation of around 97,000 registered for the two-week meeting in the United Arab Emirates, the significant presence of oil, gas, and coal lobbyists raised concerns about the influence of these industries in global climate action.
The UNFCC registered 636 lobbyists for coal, oil, and gas in Sharm el-Sheikh during the 2022 conference and 503 in Glasgow in 2021, indicating a steady escalation in the influence of the fossil fuel sector in UN climate conferences.
The analysis included only those delegates who openly disclosed their links to fossil fuel interests, ensuring the integrity of the data. The authors relied on public sources like company websites, media reports, and databases like InfluenceMap for their research.
Sources:
- Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Participation: The number of fossil fuel lobbyists at COP28 far surpassed previous years, totaling over 2450.
- Vulnerable Countries Delegates: Delegates from the ten most climate-vulnerable nations were significantly fewer than the number of fossil fuel lobbyists present at COP28.
- Coal, Oil, and Gas Industry Lobbying: The fossil fuel industry and its government supporters continued to invest in climate-damaging businesses, with a disastrous impact on people and the planet.
- Environmental Impact: According to activists, the large-scale presence of fossil fuel lobbyists derailed progress in the fight against climate change.
- Barriers to Indigenous Participation: Indigenous communities faced significant obstacles in participating in UN climate conferences, with fossil fuel lobbyists holding eight times more influence than representatives from these communities.
- Fossil Fuel Company Involvement: Companies like Shell, Chevron, and ExxonMobil maintained an active presence at COP28, straining the credibility of global climate action.
- UNFCC Data: Data from the UNFCC was essential in obtaining an accurate understanding of the growing influence of the fossil fuel lobby within UN climate conferences.
- Disproportionate Influence: The immense influence of fossil fuel lobbyists created a disproportionate balance in representation at UN climate conferences, undermining progress toward environmental sustainability.
