Record number of fossil fuel lobbyists get access to Cop28 climate talks

UAE-hosted summit admitted at least 2,456 people affiliated with oil and gas industries, analysis findsSee all our Cop 28 coverageAt least 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists have been granted access to the Cop28 climate negotiations, according to an analysis.The figure calculated by the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition is a record number that raises further questions about the fossil fuel industry's influence over this year's UN summit, which is being run by the president of the United Arab Emirates' national oil company.Fossil fuel lobbyists received more passes than the combined total of delegates (1,609) from the 10 most climate vulnerable countries combined, including Somalia, Chad, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Sudan.Many fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access as part of a trade association, of which nine of the 10 largest came from the global north. This included the Geneva-based International Emissions Trading Association, which brought 116 people including representatives from Shell, TotalEnergies and Norway's Equinor. Continue reading...