KBPO analysis finds more than 1,600 fossil fuel-linked lobbyists at COP30 in Belém — roughly one in 25 delegates and a 12% rise from last year. Many are registered under government badges, granting access to closed-door sessions, and industry delegations now outnumber nearly every national delegation. Campaigners warn this risks corporate capture of the UN climate process and call for strengthened disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules. The findings come as 2025 is forecast to be among the hottest years on record and nearly $250bn in new oil and gas projects have been approved since last year’s COP.
Record Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Flood COP30 in Brazil, Sparking Calls for Conflict‑of‑Interest Rules
KBPO analysis finds more than 1,600 fossil fuel-linked lobbyists at COP30 in Belém — roughly one in 25 delegates and a 12% rise from last year. Many are registered under government badges, granting access to closed-door sessions, and industry delegations now outnumber nearly every national delegation. Campaigners warn this risks corporate capture of the UN climate process and call for strengthened disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules. The findings come as 2025 is forecast to be among the hottest years on record and nearly $250bn in new oil and gas projects have been approved since last year’s COP.
04:33 PM, 11/14/2025Environment
Record fossil fuel presence at COP30 in Belém
New analysis by the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition shows that more than 1,600 people linked to oil, gas and coal interests have been accredited to attend the UN's COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil. That amounts to roughly one in every 25 delegates — the highest share recorded at annual UN climate negotiations and a 12% increase on last year’s COP in Baku.
KBPO’s line-by-line review of the UN provisional participant list finds fossil fuel lobbyists now outnumber nearly every national delegation; only host country Brazil has sent more participants overall. Campaign groups warn this level of industry presence risks corporate capture of the talks and undermines efforts to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels and boost finance for vulnerable countries.
How industry gains access
Trade associations remain important entry points for industry influence: the International Emissions Trading Association registered 60 representatives, while the International Chamber of Commerce and the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development also sent significant delegations. At least 164 lobbyists are listed under government badges, which permit access to closed-door meetings. Examples include France (22), Japan (33) and Norway (17) listed among official delegations.
‘It’s common sense that you cannot solve a problem by giving power to those who caused it,’ said Jax Bongon of IBON International (Philippines). ‘Yet three decades and 30 COPs later, more than 1,500 fossil fuel lobbyists are roaming the climate talks as if they belong here.’
Campaigners say the scale and placement of fossil fuel representatives enables lobbying for industry-friendly outcomes and “false solutions” that prioritize profit over climate justice.
‘COP30 has become a marketplace for corporate greenwashing, not a platform for climate justice,’ said Ranjana Giri of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development. ‘Behind the pledges are false solutions that protect profit rather than people.’
Disclosure rules and remaining loopholes
The UN climate secretariat introduced new disclosure requirements this year requiring non-government participants to declare affiliations and funding sources. However, those rules do not apply to delegates registered under government or “party overflow” badges — a loophole KBPO says allows companies to continue influencing negotiations from inside national delegations.
Campaigners and transparency groups are urging the COP Presidency and the UNFCCC Secretariat to strengthen participant disclosure and adopt formal conflict-of-interest safeguards to protect the integrity of the negotiations.
‘If COP30 is indeed the COP of truth, the Presidency and the UNFCCC Secretariat should now commit to reviewing and strengthening participant disclosure rules ahead of future summits: it is time to ensure integrity and accountability to restore trust,’ said Brice Böhmer, Climate and Environment Lead at Transparency International.
The KBPO report arrives as 2025 is forecast to be among the hottest years on record, global carbon emissions remain high, and extreme weather events are increasing. Since last year’s COP in Baku, research cited by the coalition indicates oil and gas companies have approved nearly $250 billion in new fossil fuel projects.
‘The COP is flooded with fossil fuel representatives — like a river bursting its banks,’ said Susann Scherbarth of Friends of the Earth Germany. ‘As long as the industry dominates these talks, the 1.5°C target will remain out of reach.’
The Independent has reached out to the COP30 Presidency and the UNFCCC for comment on the KBPO findings.