(Edited by He Hualan).
On December 6, the Guardian reported that 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists attended the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, quadrupling their number from the previous meeting and hitting a record high.
According to the UN's provisional list of COP28 participants, about 2,456 were fossil fuel lobbyists, and the total number of delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable countries (including Somalia, Chad, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Sudan) was only 1,609. With the exception of Brazil (3,081) and the host country (4,409), the number of lobbyists fighting for oil and gas companies such as Shell in the UK, Total in France, and Equinor in Norway exceeded all national delegations.
A large number of fossil fuel lobbyists have qualified for the summit as members of industry associations. The meeting was attended by 10 industry associations, including 9 future large international oil companies from the northern hemisphere. A total of 116 registered participants from the International Emissions** Association in Geneva were representatives, most of whom were representatives of Shell, TotalEnergies and Statoil.
According to the latest analysis by the KBPO (Kick Big Polluters Out), the increase in the number of fossil fuel lobbyists is conducive to the host country to expand the business and scale of the fossil fuel industry, such as Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, which plans to use the summit to promote deals with oil and gas companies in other countries. It will also help slow down the phase-out of the fossil fuel industry, thereby safeguarding the interests of the big oil companies. Because the summit has been advocating for phasing out the use of fossil fuels, this will seriously affect the earnings of fossil fuel-based companies and countries.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (president of the United Arab Emirates National Oil Company), president of COP28, claimed that there is no scientific evidence that fossil fuels need to be phased out in order to limit global heating to 1 above pre-industrial levels5℃ (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). Common Dreams reported that Jaber dismissed calls to phase out fossil fuels because his company planned a massive expansion that could make it the second-largest oil producer on the planet. Jaber also used her role as summit leader to develop a new agreement that would benefit the oil and gas industry, with 125 countries signing the first-ever climate health agreement without mentioning fossil fuels on the fourth day of the summit (December 3).
According to the International Petroleum Reform Organization's D**id Tong, "Other countries and regions came to the summit to negotiate for their lives and survival, while fossil fuel lobbyists came for their wallets. ”
Focus on COP28