More Than 600 Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Join COP27 While Report Predicts Record Emissions in 2022

Egypt granted access to a shocking amount of fossil fuel lobbyists at this year’s climate summit, 25% more than last year’s COP26. Meanwhile, a new report warned that the world is set to reach record emissions in 2022.

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Campaign group Global Witness found that 636 people at COP27 are linked to the fossil fuel industry. That is more than the combined delegations from the 10 most climate-impacted countries. Compared to Glasgow’s summit last year, fossil fuel lobbyists joining the climate talks in Egypt rose 25%. 

200 of them are in national delegations, while the majority are part of trade groups, international bodies, and other non-governmental organisations – the BBC reported.

The delegation with the most fossil fuel lobbyists is from the United Arab Emirates, next year’s COP host. Out of 1,070 people on the ground, 70 were found to be connected to polluting industries. Russia follows with 33 representatives, but countries like Kenya, Congo, Oman, Kuwait, Canada, Angola, and Namibia also brought their share of fossil fuel lobbyists to Sharm El Sheikh.

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Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg called out COP27 for allowing representatives of oil, gas, and, coal industries to join the summit that brings together almost every country on Earth to discuss ways to halt global warming. 

”Global Witness found more than 600 people at the talks in Egypt are linked to fossil fuels. That’s more than the combined delegations from the 10 most climate-impacted countries.” “If you want to address malaria, you don’t invite the mosquitoes”#COP27 https://t.co/n8XUjyXBz3 — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 10, 2022

The young activist, known for inspiring millions of young people around the world to raise their voices against climate change, had previously criticised the UN global conferences and recently said she wouldn’t join Egypt’s talks, slamming the summit as a forum for greenwashing. 

“The COP has turned into a PR event, where leaders are giving beautiful speeches and announcing fancy commitments and targets while behind the curtains the governments of the global north countries are still refusing to take any drastic climate action. It seems like their main goal is to continue to fight for the status quo” – she said last year.

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Meanwhile, a new analysis by the Global Carbon Project (GCP) released at COP27 on Thursday suggested that carbon emissions from fossil fuels would hit new record levels this year and, if continuing at this level, they would make 1.5C of global heating within the next decade more probable than not.

The report echoes the sentiment expressed by UN secretary-general António Guterres in his opening speech on Sunday: “We are in the fight of our lives, and we are losing. Our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible. We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”

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