Reimagine Climate Negotiations: Kick Out Big Oil

During thirty years of climate negotiations, emissions have only been soaring. Insisting on the same approach, and expecting a different outcome, is simply irrational. We are in dire need of change, starting from the way the UN climate conferences work and who is invited there.

The presence of lobbyists at climate conferences has steadily increased. In 2021 in Glasgow, a record number of 503 lobbyists with links to fossil fuel interests were accredited for the annual climate summit. Last year there were even more: 636 fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Whereas the negotiations should take place among UN member states, the fossil fuel industry has the biggest delegation. They largely outnumber the presence of Indigenous people, who are actually protecting 80% of Earth’s biodiversity.

This year, COP28 will take place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, a oil-garchy with massive plans to expand fossil fuel extraction. And fossil fuel executives are literally taking control of COP28: it will be presided by Sultan Al Jaber, the current CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

Those driving and profiting from our planet's destruction are now in charge of saving it. This is completely absurd. You wouldn't invite tobacco companies to a global health summit. So why are there more and more fossil fuel lobbyists at climate summits?

That’s why we call upon the United Nations, under the leadership of Secretary-General Guterres, to:

• Cancel and postpone COP28 until it is presided by someone who does not have a conflict of interest
• Revoke access badges to UN climate summits from fossil fuel lobbyists
• Draft a plan on how to change the format of climate conferences to really centre the most affected people and finally curb global emissions