At least 480 lobbyists advocating for CCS technologies are attending COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Despite the annual summit dropping by 15,000 in total participants from last year to 70,000, the presence of CCS lobbyists has grown, with five more granted access this year than at COP28, the Guardian reported.
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The number of CCS lobbyists at COP29 exceeds the core national delegations of countries such as the US and Canada.
Almost half of the CCS lobbyists are attending as members of national delegations, with 55 invited as guests of the host Azerbaijan’s government, allowing for greater access to negotiations.
On Friday, environmental advocacy group Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) revealed that around 1,773 coal, oil and gas lobbyists are present at COP29. KBPO analysis found that more fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to the conference than the combined number of delegates from the ten most climate-vulnerable nations in attendance.
Many of these lobbyists represent major oil and gas companies but have arrived under the banner of trade associations. For instance, the International Emissions Trading Association brought 43 people, including representatives from TotalEnergies and Glencore.
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By GlobalDataOthers have been embedded within national delegations, with nations such as Italy, Japan, Canada and the UK bringing representatives from coal, oil and gas majors.
Critics have raised concerns about the abundance of lobbyists promoting fossil fuels and CCS, a technology often criticised as a means of prolonging fossil fuel activities rather than transition to cleaner energy sources. They believe their presence may undermine meaningful climate action at COP29, adding fuel to the fire for Azerbaijan – ironically, known as the Land of Fire – which has already been subject to controversy as host with its president labelling oil and gas as a “gift of God”.
As the conference enters its second week, it remains unclear whether any significant decisions will emerge from this year’s negotiations.
