The ongoing COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, has raised concerns about the significant presence of fossil fuel executives and lobbyists.
At least 132 senior figures from oil and gas companies, including the heads of Saudi oil giant Aramco and BP, have been granted special VIP treatment with host country badges, signaling their status as honored guests of the presidency.
This preferential access has sparked outrage, with climate experts warning that the growing influence of the fossil fuel industry undermines genuine progress in climate negotiations.
The presence of such industry leaders at COP29 is alarming, given the summit’s critical focus on raising funds for developing nations to tackle climate change.
Environmental activists and climate experts, including former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, have called for reforms to prevent countries with weak climate action plans from hosting these vital summits.
Gore emphasized the need for stricter criteria to ensure that fossil fuel companies can no longer dominate the conversation.
Activists call for reforms to prevent fossil fuel influence at crucial climate negotiations.These include requiring companies to demonstrate credible commitments to net-zero emissions, phase out oil and gas production, and end anti-climate lobbying.
Despite these concerns, some experts defend the UN climate talks process.
Mohamed Adow of Power Shift Africa stresses that the COP framework is one of the few platforms where developing nations can confront larger, industrialized countries about their role in the climate crisis.
Likewise, Laurence Tubiana, a key architect of the Paris Agreement, urges that any reforms should strengthen the process, not undermine the consensus-building that has been essential for climate action.
Azerbaijan, a petrostate whose economy relies heavily on fossil fuels, has positioned itself as a neutral mediator at the talks.
However, the growing influence of fossil fuel giants at COP29 calls into question the fairness and integrity of the negotiations, as powerful stakeholders continue to protect their interests at the expense of the planet’s future.
As climate advocates like Dawda Cham from Help-Gambia urge, it is time to ensure that the voices of vulnerable countries are amplified, not drowned out by the fossil fuel industry.