BAKU, AZERBAIJAN, 15 NOV 2024: The Africa Make Big Polluters Pay (MBPP) Coalition condemns the presence of no fewer than 1773 fossil fuel lobbyists at the ongoing COP29 summit in Baku, warning that it is a barrier to climate justice for communities most affected by the climate crisis caused by the Global North and corporate interests.
Africa MBPP’s reaction follows an analysis released Friday by the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition showing that significantly more fossil lobbyists, including oil giants operating across Africa, have been granted access to COP29 than almost every country’s delegation.
According to the analysis, the 1773 fossil fuel lobbyists registered in Baku are only outnumbered by delegations sent by host Azerbaijan (2229), COP30 host Brazil (1914), and Türkiye (1862).
KBPO also noted that the lobbyists have received more passes to COP29 than all the delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations combined (1033), underscoring how industry presence is dwarfing that of those on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
A vast number of fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to the COP as part of a trade association. Eight of the top 10 trade groups with the most lobbyists came from the Global North. The largest was the International Emissions Trading Association, who brought 43 people, including representatives from Big Polluters TotalEnergies and Glencore.
Japan brought coal giant Sumitomo as part of its delegation; Canada bought oil producers Suncor and Tourmaline; the United Kingdom brought 20 lobbyists; and Italy brought employees of energy giants Eni and Enel.
Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Shell and Eni, which brought a combined total of 39 lobbyists, are also linked to enabling genocide in Palestine by “fueling Israel’s war machine.”
Kick Big Polluters Out and Africa MBPP Member Nnimmo Bassey from Health of Mother Earth Foundation, said: “The fossil fuel lobby’s grip on climate negotiations is like a venomous snake coiling around the very future of our planet. We must expose their deceit and take decisive action to remove their influence and make them pay for their infractions towards our planet. It’s time to prioritize the voices of those who have been fighting for justice and sustainability, not the interests of polluters.”
The KBPO findings come at the end of a year in which global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions shattered records, and amidst evidence of fossil fuel complicity in genocide in Palestine via the supply of oil and gas to Israel. They also come amidst revelations that many of the world’s largest fossil fuel corporations have approved US$250 billion in oil and gas expenditure since COP28.
Industry presence in Baku stands in stark contrast to the stated aims of COP29, where ending fossil fuels, false solutions, and climate finance are all hot topics. It further substantiates the growing call from Global South countries, public officials, UN constituencies, and wider civil society to eject polluters from talks.
Corporate access and lobbying at UN climate talks isn’t limited to the fossil fuel industry. Other polluting industries deeply implicated in the climate crisis such as finance, agribusiness, and transportation are also present, although they are not included in this analysis. KBPO counts only organisations or delegations as fossil fuel lobbyists if they can be reasonably assumed to have the objective of influencing the formulation or implementation of policy or legislation in the interests of a fossil fuel corporation and its shareholders.
The number of fossil fuel representatives at UN climate talks has been consistently high, with the industry present since their inception. These findings build on calls in recent years to protect the UN’s climate negotiations by establishing clear conflict of interest policies and accountability measures, with countries collectively representing almost 70% of the world’s population having requested these conflicts of interest be addressed.
Thanks to sustained pressure from civil society, COP28 was the first time COP attendees were required to disclose who they represent, revealing many lobbyists who would likely have attended previous COPs incognito.
Last year, KBPO’s analysis showed that an historic high of more than 2,450 fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to the COP28 climate talks in Dubai, up from 636 the year before that in Egypt. Despite the overall number of participants this year (52,305) being significantly less than the 97,372 last year in Dubai, the fossil fuel industry still appears to have descended on Baku in extraordinary numbers. The Kick Big Polluters Out campaign is calling on the UN climate body and governments to continue on the road towards a robust Accountability Framework to address the problem at its root, to prioritize the millions of lives on the line by the climate crisis and lack of action to address it as with the tobacco industry at the World Health Organisation tobacco treaty talks.
“The presence of 1,773 fossil fuel lobbyists at COP29 is a stark reminder that the voices of those most affected by the climate crisis are being drowned out by corporate interests. This space should be filled with grassroots leaders who are fighting for their communities, not representatives of the very industries that are fueling the crisis,” said Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation (CAPPA) Africa Make Big Polluters Pay Coalition
“It’s unacceptable that fossil fuel lobbyists outnumber the delegations from climate-vulnerable nations at COP29. We need to amplify the voices of those on the frontlines, not allow corporate polluters to dictate the narrative. The future of our planet is at stake, and it’s time to put people before profits,” said Kwami Kpondzo, Executive Director – Center for Environmental Justice Togo, Africa Make Big Polluters Pay Coalition.
“While 1,773 lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry are busy promoting their agenda, communities around the world are facing the harsh realities of climate change. We demand that our leaders prioritize the voices of those who are truly impacted by these decisions, not the interests of Big Polluters,” said Emem Bridget Okon, Executive Director, Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre, Africa Make Big Polluters Pay Coalition.
“Every lobbyist here represents a barrier to meaningful climate action. Instead of facilitating real change, they are here to protect their profits. It’s time to hold these corporations accountable and ensure that the voices of grassroots activists are front and center in these negotiations,” said Neima Hellen, Africa Climate Campaign Director, Corporate Accountability, Africa Make Big Polluters Pay Coordinator.
“COP29 should be a platform for those who are fighting for their lives and livelihoods, not a playground for fossil fuel lobbyists. We need leaders who will listen to the youth and the communities suffering from climate impacts, not those who profit from the destruction of our planet,” said Amb Godsent Sampson Wherdaigar, Chief Executive Director, Youth Go Green Network Liberia, Africa Make Big Polluters Pay Coordinator.
“The presence of so many fossil fuel lobbyists at COP29 is a betrayal of the communities who have been stewards of the land for generations. We demand that our voices be heard over the clamor of corporate interests. It’s time for real solutions that prioritize the health of our planet and its people,” added Babawale Obayanju, Executive Director, Tell That Story, Africa Make Big Polluters Pay Coordinator.
“The overwhelming presence of fossil fuel lobbyists at COP29 highlights a fundamental flaw in our climate negotiations. We need scientists, activists, and affected communities in these discussions, not those who profit from inaction. The science is clear: we must act now, and that means sidelining the interests of Big Polluters,” said Ndivile Makoena, Grassroots Rights Advocate, Gender CC, Africa Make Big Polluters Pay Coalition.
