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1h ago

COP30 Registers Record Share of Fossil-Fuel Lobbyists, Exceeding Nearly Every National Delegation

A new KBPO analysis finds more than 1,600 industry-linked delegates—about 4% of attendees—prompting renewed calls for conflict-of-interest rules.

The COP30 UN Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil. (AP)
Demonstrators demanded forest protection and global climate responsibility during COP30 in Belem, Brazil, a UN climate conference that one nonprofit group warned featured more than 1,000 fossil fuel lobbyists and energy industry leaders
TotalEnergies chief executive Patrick Pouyanne (C) defended his presence at the UN climate talks in the Brazilian Amazon when confronted by a Greenpeace activist about the attendance of fossil fuel lobbyists, insisting 'I believe in dialogue'
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Overview

  • KBPO counted 1,602 fossil-fuel lobbyists on the UNFCCC’s provisional participant list for Belém, equating to roughly one in every 25 participants.
  • The cohort is larger than almost all country delegations at COP30, with only host nation Brazil sending more accredited attendees.
  • This represents the highest concentration KBPO has recorded and a 12% rise in share from COP29 in Baku, even as total attendance is lower than recent summits.
  • Trade groups remain key access channels, with 148 badges listed under the International Chamber of Commerce and 60 under the International Emissions Trading Association, though the ICC says only three of its passes went to fossil-fuel companies.
  • Transparency International reports widespread withholding of affiliations in national delegations, and the UNFCCC says disclosure steps have improved while noting that governments decide their delegation composition.