One in 25 COP30 Attendees Is a Fossil Fuel Lobbyist, Raising Alarm Over Corporate Capture
A new analysis by the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition reveals that more than 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists have been granted access to the COP30 climate talks in Belém—making this year’s summit one of the most heavily influenced by the industry since tracking began.
Fossil fuel representatives now account for one in every 25 participants, a 12% increase from COP29 in Baku. Only the host nation, Brazil, has a larger delegation (3,805).
The analysis, conducted line-by-line using the provisional COP30 participant list, shows fossil fuel lobbyists outnumbering nearly every national delegation. They outnumber the Philippines’ delegation by almost 50 to 1, despite the country being battered by destructive typhoons during the talks. They also sent over 40 times more representatives than Jamaica, still recovering from Hurricane Melissa.
Lobbyists received two-thirds more badges than all delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable countries combined, highlighting a stark imbalance between major polluters and nations already facing the brunt of climate impacts.
Much of the influence continues to flow through trade bodies such as the International Emissions Trading Association, which brought 60 representatives, and through Party overflow badges—roughly 599 lobbyists gained behind-the-scenes access this way. Several Global North governments also included fossil fuel personnel in their official delegations: France (22), Japan (33), and Norway (17).
“You cannot solve a problem by giving power to those who caused it”
Civil society groups condemned the spiralling industry presence.
Jax Bonbon of IBON International (Philippines) said the talks are being “made a mockery of” as more than 1,500 lobbyists roam COP30 “as if they belong here,” even as climate extremes intensify across the Global South.
The KBPO report comes as 2025 is projected to be one of the hottest years on record, with global CO₂ levels at unprecedented highs. Despite growing calls for a rapid and just transition, the fossil fuel industry has moved ahead with nearly $250 billion in new oil and gas projects since COP29.
Some KBPO members also pointed to links between fossil fuel corporations, militarism, and global violence. Ana Sánchez of Global Energy Embargo for Palestine (GEEP) said the industry fuels both climate breakdown and conflict, arguing that “there is no climate justice without Palestine liberation.”
COP30’s credibility at stake
Brazil has framed COP30 as a pivotal “Implementation COP” for the Paris Agreement, but the overwhelming industry presence raises concerns about the integrity of the process. The findings underscore renewed calls for formal conflict-of-interest rules and polluter-free COPs.
This COP is the first where all nongovernmental participants must publicly disclose their funders and confirm alignment with UNFCCC goals. However, the requirement does not apply to government badge holders—a loophole that allowed 164 fossil fuel lobbyists to enter through official delegations.
Feminist and frontline groups also sounded the alarm. Pat Bohland of LIFE, co-focal point of the Women and Gender Constituency, noted that feminists are “outnumbered eight times by lobbyists,” reflecting the patriarchal structures that perpetuate extractive systems.
“The tentacles of extractive corporations are spreading across decision-making spaces”
Liliana Buitrago of Pacto Ecosocial del Sur warned that the continued expansion of fossil fuel operations—and their growing influence at COP—exacerbates climate inaction and deepens the roots of the planetary crisis.
Comments are closed.