A shocking revelation has emerged, exposing the deep-rooted influence of fossil fuel lobbyists within the United Nations climate talks. Over 5,000 lobbyists, representing the interests of oil, gas, and coal industries, have gained access to these crucial negotiations over the past four years. This period has been marked by a devastating increase in extreme weather events, inadequate climate action, and a record-breaking expansion of oil and gas operations.
The presence of these lobbyists at the annual climate negotiations, where nations are expected to negotiate in good faith and commit to ambitious emission reduction policies, raises serious concerns. These lobbyists, working for over 859 fossil fuel organizations, have been mingling with world leaders and climate negotiators, potentially influencing decisions that should be driven by scientific evidence and the best interests of the planet.
But here's where it gets controversial...
An analysis by Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO), a coalition of organizations campaigning against the fossil fuel industry's interference, reveals that just 90 of the fossil fuel corporations sending lobbyists to climate talks between 2021 and 2024 were responsible for more than half of the oil and gas production last year. These corporations, including some of the world's most profitable oil and gas majors, produced an astonishing 33,699 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2024 alone.
Furthermore, these same 90 firms are behind almost two-thirds of all short-term upstream fossil fuel expansion projects, as revealed by the Global Oil and Gas Exit List. If these projects go ahead, the amount of oil produced would be enough to cover a significant portion of Europe with a layer of oil.
These findings have sparked renewed calls for fossil fuel companies and other major polluters to be excluded from the annual climate negotiations. With mounting scientific evidence showing the world's failure to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the presence of these lobbyists is seen as a major obstacle to meaningful progress.
Adilson Vieira, spokesperson for the Amazonian Work Group, highlights the issue, stating, "This information exposes the corporate takeover of the global climate process. The space meant for science and the people has become a carbon business hall. While forest communities fight for survival, the companies causing climate collapse buy influence to expand their fossil empires."
Brenna Yellowthunder, lead coordinator for the Indigenous Environmental Network, adds, "Indigenous peoples on the frontlines of extractive sites suffer human rights violations, and we bear the brunt of climate chaos with worsening floods, wildfires, and extreme heat waves. We need to remove the 'for sale' sign on Mother Earth and bar oil and gas lobbyists from these negotiations."
The 30th UN climate summit, Cop30, opens in Belem, a city in the Brazilian Amazon, where the world's largest rainforest is under threat from expanding fossil fuel exploitation, industrial agriculture, and mining. This annual meeting is where countries negotiate strategies to tackle the climate crisis, guided by the legally binding UNFCCC treaty and the Paris Agreement.
However, anger is growing among nations, especially those most vulnerable to climate change, as they perceive that the fossil fuel industry is granted greater access to these talks than many countries. Last year, Azerbaijan hosted the summit, where 1,773 registered fossil fuel lobbyists attended, a number 70% higher than the combined delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations.
The true extent of fossil fuel influence is likely even deeper, as the lobbyists' data excludes executives and company representatives on official country delegations and those attending as guests of governments.
Many of the world's most profitable fossil fuel corporations have been present at recent Cop summits, despite public pressure on governments to phase out fossil fuels due to their deadly climate impacts worldwide. Between 2021 and 2024, companies like Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, and Chevron sent a combined total of 105 lobbyists to these negotiations.
In the past five years, these four oil majors have made over $420 billion in combined profits. Yet, the US, which has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and is not sending a country delegation to Cop30, will host an event headlined by Exxon CEO Darren Woods, discussing pragmatic business solutions for carbon accounting and emission reductions.
Petrobas, a majority state-owned Brazilian multinational, sent at least 28 lobbyists to the past four climate summits and has recently been granted a license for exploratory oil drilling off the Amazon, home to Indigenous communities and a significant portion of the planet's species.
A Petrobras spokesperson stated, "Our presence at COP30 reinforces our commitment to follow and contribute to international debates on climate and energy."
Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, and Chevron did not respond to requests for comment.
After years of advocacy, Cop delegates are now being asked to disclose their funding sources and align their objectives with the UNFCCC. However, advocates argue that these new transparency requirements exclude official government delegations and overflows, and calls for stricter conflict-of-interest protections to curb industry influence have been largely ignored.
Mohammed Usrof, executive director of the Palestinian Institute for Climate Strategy, emphasizes, "The new rules are a step in the right direction, but they are decades overdue. Transparency without exclusion is merely performative. The UNFCCC must move from disclosure to disqualification to truly address the influence of corporations that are burning the planet and fueling wars. Without reform, this process will not save the world but may contribute to its demise."
The UNFCCC has been contacted for further comment on these matters.
