Imagine a room where the fate of our planet is being decided, but instead of scientists and activists, it’s filled with representatives of the very industries driving the climate crisis. This is the shocking reality of UN climate talks, where thousands of fossil fuel lobbyists have been granted access, influencing decisions while their companies continue to drill and pollute. But here’s where it gets even more alarming: new research reveals that over the past four years, more than 5,000 fossil fuel lobbyists have attended these critical summits. This period has seen a surge in catastrophic weather events, lackluster climate action, and record-breaking expansion of oil and gas operations.
These lobbyists, representing the oil, gas, and coal industries—the primary culprits behind climate breakdown—have been allowed to mingle with world leaders and negotiators at annual climate talks. Their goal? To shape policies in favor of their industries, often at the expense of ambitious climate action. The roughly 5,350 lobbyists identified in recent years work for at least 859 fossil fuel organizations, including trade groups, foundations, and 180 companies involved in every stage of the fossil fuel supply chain, from exploration to distribution. This data, shared exclusively with The Guardian, paints a disturbing picture of corporate influence.
And this is the part most people miss: just 90 of these fossil fuel giants, which sent lobbyists to climate talks between 2021 and 2024, were responsible for a staggering 57% of all oil and gas produced last year. According to analysis by Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO), a coalition of 450 organizations fighting to end the fossil fuel industry’s obstruction of climate action, these companies produced 33.699 billion barrels of oil equivalent in 2024—enough to cover the entire area of Spain with a 1cm layer of oil. Is this the kind of progress we’re aiming for?
But it doesn’t stop there. These same 90 firms are behind nearly two-thirds (63%) of all short-term fossil fuel expansion projects, as revealed by the Global Oil and Gas Exit List. If these projects go ahead, they’ll produce enough oil to coat the combined landmass of seven European countries—France, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway—with a 1cm layer of oil. Does this sound like a world moving toward sustainability?
These findings have reignited calls to ban fossil fuel companies from climate negotiations, especially as scientific evidence mounts that we’ve failed to limit global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. ‘This information clearly exposes corporate capture of the global climate process,’ said Adilson Vieira, spokesperson for the Amazonian Work Group. ‘The space meant for science and people has been transformed into a large carbon business hall.’ Is this the future we want?
Indigenous communities, already on the frontlines of extraction and climate chaos, are sounding the alarm. ‘We face human rights violations at extractive sites and bear the brunt of worsening floods, wildfires, and heatwaves,’ said Brenna Yellowthunder of the Indigenous Environmental Network. ‘We need to take down the ‘for sale’ sign on Mother Earth and bar oil and gas lobbyists from these talks.’ Can we afford to ignore their plea?
As the 30th UN climate summit (COP30) opens in Belem, Brazil—in the heart of the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest under threat from fossil fuel exploitation—the irony is palpable. These annual meetings are meant to address the climate crisis, guided by the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global heating to 1.5°C. Yet, the very industries driving the crisis are given a seat at the table.
Last year, 1,773 fossil fuel lobbyists attended the summit in Azerbaijan—70% more than delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations combined. Is this fair representation? But the true extent of corporate influence is likely even deeper, as this data excludes executives and company representatives embedded in official country delegations. The largest contingent of lobbyists in recent years came from state-owned companies in the UAE, Russia, and Azerbaijan.
Major players like Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, and Chevron have consistently sent dozens of lobbyists to these summits, even as governments fail to phase out fossil fuels despite devastating climate impacts. Between 2021 and 2024, Shell sent 37 lobbyists, BP sent 36, ExxonMobil sent 32, and Chevron sent 20. Meanwhile, these four companies alone raked in over $420 billion in profits in the past five years. Is this justice, or is it exploitation?
This year, delegates are being asked to disclose their funding sources—a step forward, but one that excludes official government representatives. ‘Transparency without exclusion is performative,’ said Mohammed Usrof of the Palestinian Institute for Climate Strategy. ‘You cannot claim to fix a process already captured by the corporations burning the planet.’ Do we have the courage to reform this broken system?
As we grapple with these revelations, one question remains: Can we truly tackle the climate crisis while allowing those most responsible for it to dictate the terms? The answer may determine our survival.
