5,000+ Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Infiltrated UN Climate Summits

A shocking new investigation reveals that more than 5,000 fossil fuel industry lobbyists gained access to United Nations climate summits between 2021 and 2024—the same four-year period that saw devastating extreme weather events intensify worldwide and global oil and gas production reach record highs.

These lobbyists, representing the very oil, gas, and coal companies driving climate change, were granted seats at the table during critical negotiations meant to forge international agreements on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The unprecedented level of industry access occurred during COP26 through COP29, conferences where world leaders were supposed to work in good faith toward ambitious climate policies.

The timing couldn’t be more troubling. While fossil fuel representatives worked behind the scenes at these summits, the world experienced increasingly catastrophic weather disasters, from deadly heatwaves and flooding to severe droughts and hurricanes. Meanwhile, rather than scaling back operations, oil and gas companies expanded their drilling activities to historic levels.

This revelation raises serious questions about the integrity of the UN climate process and whether meaningful progress is possible when the industries most responsible for environmental destruction have such extensive influence over the negotiations. Critics argue that allowing thousands of fossil fuel lobbyists into these vital climate discussions is like inviting tobacco executives to set public health policy—a fundamental conflict of interest that undermines urgent action needed to address the climate crisis.