Climate change campaigners have criticized the high number of fossil fuel lobbyists at the COP26 talks.
An analysis by Global Witness shows that 503 fossil fuel lobbyists at the COP26 climate summit are linked to big oil and gas companies.
The scrutiny follows complaints from countries that suffer more from climate change impacts over unequal access to COP26 due to vaccine segregation, and costly travel restrictions among others.
Campaigners are against such a number from one entity at the talks.
Murray Worthy, Gas Campaign Leader at Global witness said time is running out to avert climate crisis and COP26 must be a success.
“The case of meaningful global action must not be diverted by a festival of polluters and their mouthpieces, who have no interest in seeing the changes we need to protect the planet,” said Murray.
“The presence of hundreds of those being paid to push the toxic interests of polluting fossil fuel companies will only increase the scepticism of climate activists who see these talks as more evidence of global leaders’ dithering and delaying.”
On November 4, which was the World Energy Day at COP26, the US and 20 other countries said they would stop spending tax dollars to support international fossil fuel projects, starting next year, and instead divert the $18 billion that flows to fossil fuel companies annually, towards clean energy projects.
However, Pascoe Sibido, a researcher and campaigner for Corporate Europe Observatory said COP26 is being sold as a place to raise ambition, but it’s crawling with fossil fuel lobbyists whose only ambition is to stay in business.
“The likes of Shell and BP are inside these talks despite openly admitting to upping their production of fossil gal. If we are serious about raising ambition, then fossil fuel lobbyists should be shut out of the talks and out of our national capitals,” Pascoe said.
Rachel Rose Jackson, director of climate research and policy at Corporate Accountability said; “With bog polluters in the building and so many of those on the frontlines left outside due to vaccine apartheid-COP26 is compromised.”
At least 39,500 participants and 197 countries worldwide are in attendance at COP26, including heads of state and decision-makers.
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