Numerous oil, gas and coal lobbyists at climate conference

COP28 - Numerous oil, gas and coal lobbyists at climate conference

According to a data analysis by activists, at least 2456 lobbyists for coal, oil and gas are officially accredited at the World Climate Conference in Dubai - four times more than at the meeting in Egypt last year.

The analysis was published today by the "Kick Big Polluters Out" coalition, which is supported by Global Witness, Transparency International, Greenpeace and the Climate Action Network, among others. The analysis was based on publicly available data from the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCC).

According to the analysis, lobbyists received more access passes than all delegations from the ten most vulnerable countries to global warming. Somalia, Chad, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Micronesia, Tonga, Eritrea, Sudan, Liberia and the Solomon Islands only have a total of 1509 delegates.

Criticism of participation

David Tong from Oil Change International denounced the fact that the fossil fuel industry and its supporters in many governments continue to invest billions in climate-damaging businesses - with disastrous consequences for people and the planet. It was therefore clear to him: "Lobbyists for coal, gas and oil must be thrown out of COP28."

Alexia Leclercq from the Start:Empowerment initiative said that no one seriously believes that Shell, Chevron or ExxonMobil would send their lobbyists to Dubai just to passively observe the conference. "The poisoned presence of the big polluters has distracted us for years and prevented us from finding ways to keep fossil fuels in the ground."

The initiative also pointed out that there were around eight times as many fossil fuel lobbyists at the conference of almost 200 states as official representatives of indigenous communities (316).

According to the UN, a record number of around 97,000 participants were registered for the two-week meeting in the United Arab Emirates. According to the analysis, there were 636 lobbyists for coal, oil and gas in Sharm el-Sheikh last year and 503 in Glasgow in 2021.

"Poisoning of the process must be stopped"

According to the press release, France, for example, has accredited representatives from TotalEnergies and EDF as part of the delegation, as has Italy with ENI. And the European Union has included employees from BP, ENI and ExxonMobil.

Joseph Sikulu from the environmental organization 350.org in the Pacific region said: "We come here to fight for our survival - what chance do we have if our voices are stifled by the influence of big polluters? This poisoning of the process must be stopped."

Only delegates who openly disclose their links to fossil fuel interests were counted for the analysis. The authors relied exclusively on public sources such as company websites, media reports or databases such as InfluenceMap for comparison.

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1. Despite the high number of oil, gas, and coal lobbyists at the COP28, the ten most vulnerable countries to global warming, such as Somalia and Eritrea, have a combined delegate count of less than 1600.
2. The "Kick Big Polluters Out" coalition, which includes Global Witness, Transparency International, Greenpeace, and the Climate Action Network, published an analysis showing an increase in fossil fuel industry lobbyists at the World Climate Conference in Dubai compared to previous years.
3. The analysis, based on UNFCC data, revealed that at least 2456 lobbyists for coal, oil, and gas are officially accredited at COP28, which is four times more than the 2021 conference in Glasgow and double the number in 2022's conference in Sharm el-Sheikh.
4. Companies like Shell, Chevron, and ExxonMobil have active lobbyists at the COP28 conference in Dubai, leading to concerns that their presence is distracting from finding ways to limit fossil fuel use.
5. The UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCC) has registered a record number of 97,000 participants for the two-week meeting, including a significant number of fossil fuel industry lobbyists.
6. The UN has faced criticism for allowing the participation of ExxonMobil and other oil and gas companies, which is seen as detrimental to global climate action.
7. Climate Action Network, a part of the "Kick Big Polluters Out" coalition, denounced the influence of oil, gas, and coal companies at the UN climate conference, saying it hinders progress towards reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
8. Transparency International noted that there are over 300 more fossil fuel lobbyists at COP28 than representatives from indigenous communities, highlighting the disproportionate influence of corporations in climate discussions.
9. Egypt, France, Italy, and the EU are among the countries that have accredited fossil fuel company representatives, raising questions about their commitment to sustainable energy policies.
10. Despite the significant presence of oil, gas, and coal lobbyists, many activists and climate organizations, such as Greenpeace and 350.org, are working to raise awareness and push for change towards a more sustainable energy future.
11. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that climate change is a significant threat to economic development in countries like Liberia, Micronesia, and Guinea-Bissau, further emphasizing the need for action against fossil fuel emissions.
12. ExxonMobil, one of the largest oil and gas companies, faces ongoing criticism for its lack of transparency and action on climate change, leading to pressure from activist groups to divest from potentially harmful industries.
13. Countries like Sudan and Somalia are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which is exacerbated by the influence of oil and gas lobbyists at UN climate conferences, hindering progress in addressing global warming.

Source: www.stern.de