More than 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists are attending the COP30 climate talks in Belém, Brazil, according to the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition.
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One in 25 participants at COP30 represents the fossil fuel industry, according to an analysis by the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition.
A total of 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists have been granted access to this year’s climate summit in Belém, Brazil. They outnumber all countries’ delegations except Brazil, which has 3,805 delegates in attendance. The group also calculated that lobbyists have received two thirds more passes to COP30 than all the delegates from the 10 most climate vulnerable nations combined.
“It’s common sense that you cannot solve a problem by giving power to those who caused it. Yet three decades and 30 COPs later, more than 1,500 fossil fuel lobbyists are roaming the climate talks as if they belong here. It is infuriating to watch their influence deepen year after year, making a mockery of the process and of the communities suffering its consequences,” said Kick Big Polluters Out member Jax Bongon from IBON International in the Philippines.
Brazilian news outlet Agência Pública reported earlier this week that Brazil, the summit’s host, granted the Batista brothers – the billionaire brothers who own JBS, the world’s largest beef producer – access to the Blue Zone. This is a restricted area of COP30 where diplomatic negotiations take place among the nearly 200 countries that signed the UN Convention on Climate Change.
More on COP30 from Earth.Org (click to view)
News
- Did COP30 Succeed or Fail?
- COP30 Week 2: Recap
- COP30 Week 1: Recap
- Reactions Pour in After Weak COP30 Agreement
- No Mention of Planet-Warming Fossil Fuels in COP30 Agreement
- Misinformation Becomes a Political Weapon Over Fire at COP30
- Business Coalition at COP30 Urges Transition Away From Fossil Fuels
- 83 Countries Join Call to End Fossil Fuels at COP30
- ‘People’s COP’ Marked By Civil Society Protests and Direct Action Events
- American States, Institutions Scramble to Fill Gap Left by US Absence at COP30
- Disability Activists Seek Official Recognition at COP30
- Brazilian Government Announces Ordinances to Recognize 10 Indigenous Lands
- Six Countries Pledge $58.5 Million to Adaptation Fund As UN Warns of $310 Billion Deficit
- Pope Leo Upholds Environmental Legacy of ‘Green’ Pope Francis, Urging Concrete Action on Climate at COP30
- Brazil to Demarcate Indigenous Territories Following Munduruku Protest at COP30
- COP30 Launches Global Declaration to Combat Climate Misinformation, Fake News
- Brazilian Government Seeks to Advance Discussion on Ending Fossil Fuels at COP30
- COP30: Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Outnumber Every Country Delegation Except Brazil
- COP30: Brazilian Government Puts Owners of the World’s Largest Beef Producer on ‘VIP List’
- Despite Record Turnout, Only 14% of Indigenous Brazilians Are Expected to Access Decision-Making Spaces at COP30
- Countries’ Climate Pledges Put World on Track for 12% Reduction in Emissions, UN Says
- Current National Climate Pledges Fall Far Short of What Is Needed to Limit Warming to 1.5C, Report Shows
Explainers
- COP30 Glossary: What You Need to Know About This Year’s UN Climate Summit in Brazil
- COP30 Volunteers Make World’s Biggest Climate Event Possible
- Navigating COP: A Deep Dive into the UN Climate Conference Process
- Oceans at COP30: Moving Beyond Pledges to Build an Architecture for Change
- Climate Adaptation at COP30: What to Expect
- Climate Finance at COP30: What to Expect
- Explainer: Why Gender Will Be High on the Agenda at COP30
- COP30 Volunteers Make World’s Biggest Climate Event Possible
- COP30 Youth ‘Go Bananas’ for Nuclear
Opinion
- Why COP30’s Success Depends on Comprehensive Food System Action
- Why COP30 Needs Indigenous Voices
- At COP30, Wealthy Nations Must Close the Adaptation Gap – My Home of Bangladesh Depends on It
Pre-COP30
- US Will Not Send High-Level Representatives to COP30, White House Says
- EU Agrees on Weakened Emissions Reduction Target Ahead of COP30
- 40 Elite Athletes Call for Urgent Adaptation Finance at COP30 Amid Climate Threat
- UN Climate Chief Urges Countries to Step Up Climate Action, Finance Ahead of COP30
- COP30 Host Brazil Calls For Bold National Emissions Reduction Plans Ahead of September Deadline
- COP30 Presidency Calls For Initiatives to Promote Information Integrity Amid Rampant Climate Disinformation
- Local Leaders to Tackle Climate Issues in Brazil Prior to COP30
- UN Climate Chief Says Energy Transition ‘Unstoppable’ Despite US Exit From Paris Accord, Urges Countries to Deliver on Climate Finance at COP30
In Line With Previous Years
Climate activists have long called COP meetings a “farce” due to the presence of thousands of fossil fuel representatives, with Global Witness’ investigation reigniting debates over the role of fossil fuels in the summit.
Three petrostates – Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt – hosted the last three summits. At each summit, the presence of fossil fuel lobbyists was significant: at least 1,773 at last year’s COP29, at least 2,456 oil and gas lobbyists at COP28 (a record), and more than 630 people at COP27.
Featured image: UN Climate Change/Zô Guimarães via Flickr.
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