Fossil Fuel Interests Threaten to Undermine UN Climate Talks

At the annual United Nations climate talks—COP28—in Dubai, fossil fuel interests are front and center and threatening to water down ambitious climate action. A new report today released by Kick Big Polluters Out showed that more than 2,400 fossil fuel industry lobbyists are attending COP28—significantly more than almost every country delegation.

Conflict of interest has been a concern for this year’s COP since Sultan Al-Jaber, president of United Arab Emirates' national oil company, was announced as the presidency. Days before delegates arrived in Dubai, leaked documents revealed that the UAE planned to use its role as host to secure deals and gas deals. In recent days, a recording surfaced of the COP Presidency claiming that there is “no science” behind phasing out fossil fuels and that the “role of fossil fuels” must be included in the COP28 decision. In addition to lobbyists, ExxonMobil Chair and CEO Darren Woods himself has been on the ground in Dubai attending negotiations for the first time. Woods is pushing for leaders to focus on emissions, not fossil fuels.

Among the flurry of announcements in the early days of COP28, is the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter. Led by the president of this year’s talks, the charter is a voluntary climate action initiative by oil and gas corporations. The charter largely restates existing emissions reduction pledges already made by investor-owned fossil fuel corporations while bringing national oil companies under its umbrella.

The science is clear that a fair, fast, and funded phaseout of fossil fuels is urgently needed in order to curb climate change and other harmful health impacts of fossil fuels. Scientists across a range of disciplines agree, as evidenced by a letter sent by 650 scientists to President Biden ahead of COP28. Among other asks, the letter urges him to agree to a fast and fair phaseout of all fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) and to protect international climate negotiations from fossil fuel industry interference, disinformation, and greenwashing.

Below is a statement by Kathy Mulvey, accountability campaign director at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

“It’s extremely alarming to witness the pervasive influence of fossil fuel industry interests at COP28. Fossil fuel lobbyists and leaders are actively deploying deceptive tactics to mislead the public and policymakers, sow doubt about climate science, and obstruct critical climate action. Their agenda is crystal clear: safeguarding their profits at the expense of a livable future for all of us. The urgency of phasing out fossil fuels demands a unified, unwavering commitment from global leaders, unencumbered by the fossil fuel industry’s self-serving agenda.

“The COP28 Presidency-led Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter is a lot of fanfare around the restatement of woefully insufficient emissions reductions pledges already made by many of the signatory corporations. Less than a week into negotiations, we have serious concerns about fossil fuel industry influence—both public deception and behind-the- scenes manipulation—and the risk it poses to securing the scientifically-necessary agreement for a fast, fair, and funded phase out of fossil fuels at COP28. We need world leaders to step up and make commitments that align with the urgency and scale of the crisis and prioritize dramatic emission cuts, not recycled voluntary corporate promises.”