Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Rival National Delegations at COP30, Report Finds
Belém, Brazil – Fossil fuel lobbyists outnumbered all but one national delegation at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, according too a report released today. The analysis reveals a important presence of industry representatives – totaling 83 - second only to the Brazilian host nation’s delegation size.
The findings raise concerns about the influence of polluting industries on critical climate negotiations,despite new clarity measures implemented this year. These measures require delegates to disclose funding sources and confirm alignment with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) objectives, but notably exclude members of official government delegations.
A separate analysis by Transparency International found that over half of all country delegation members at COP30 withheld or obscured details of their affiliations.Russia, Tanzania, South Africa, and Mexico were among the countries that did not disclose any affiliations for their official delegates.
Advocates point to loopholes in the conflict-of-interest rules, arguing that calls for stricter protections to limit industry influence have been insufficient. “While local Indigenous peoples struggled to enter the conference, fossil fuel lobbyists walked in freely,” said Pim sullivan-Tailyour of the UK Youth Climate Coalition.”My generation deserves Just Transition policies that reflect what people and the planet need,not what polluters’ profits demand. The UNFCCC is in need of rehabilitation.”
The presence of lobbyists is particularly troubling given the latest climate data.A recent report indicates the world remains on track for a catastrophic 2.6C temperature rise.
Ivonne Yáñez from Acción Ecológica, a non-profit environmental group in Ecuador, criticized the summits as platforms for “oil companies to clean up their image, do business and find new ways to get away with environmental crimes.” She added, “Today, instead of transitioning to post-oil societies, they want to extract every last drop of fossil fuels to continue feeding the capitalist system and genocidal wars.”
A UNFCCC spokesperson stated that measures to enhance transparency have been taken in consultation with civil society, and that improving the process is “an ongoing journey,” while acknowledging that national governments retain sole authority over delegation composition.
The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (Ieta) and the Business Network for Climate Integrity (BNCI) both declined to comment.
