Red Carpet for Polluters: Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Flood COP30, Dwarfing Climate-Vulnerable Nations' Voices

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BELEM, BRAZIL — November 14, 2025.

The promise of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, as a critical "Implementation COP" for the Paris Agreement, has been profoundly overshadowed by a shocking revelation: the fossil fuel industry has achieved its largest-ever share of attendance at a UN climate summit. New analysis from the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition reveals that the industry’s presence is not just large—it’s an overwhelming display of corporate influence that actively threatens the talks' stated goals.

The Numbers Tell a Grim Story

According to KBPO's analysis, more than 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists have been granted access to the COP30 negotiations. This colossal figure means that approximately one in every 25 participants in Belém represents the fossil fuel industry.

This overwhelming presence marks a 12% increase in the proportional share of lobbyists since last year's COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The sheer volume of industry representatives is staggering, with the lobbyist count significantly outnumbering almost every country delegation at COP30 —only host country Brazil sent more people.

But perhaps the most damning comparison is the disparity between the polluters and those on the frontlines of the climate crisis:

Fossil fuel lobbyists have received two-thirds more passes to COP30 than all the delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations combined (1,061 delegates).

The lobbyists outnumber official delegates from the Philippines by nearly 50 to 1—even as that country is battered by devastating typhoons.

They sent more than 40 times the number of people than Jamaica, a nation still reeling from Hurricane Melissa.

Corporate Capture: An Inside Job

The KBPO analysis highlights that this influence is being wielded from the inside. Major trade associations remain a primary vehicle for influence, with the International Emissions Trading Association bringing 60 representatives, including delegates from oil and gas giants ExxonMobil, BP, and TotalEnergies.

Crucially, fossil fuel delegates are also gaining critical, behind-the-scenes access through official country badges. Several Global North nations have included fossil fuel representatives within their official delegations:

France brought 22 fossil fuel delegates, including five from TotalEnergies, one of whom is CEO Patrick Pouyanné.

Japan’s delegation contained 33 fossil fuel lobbyists, with representation from companies like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Osaka Gas.

Norway included 17 representatives, including six senior executives from its national oil and gas giant, Equinor.

This research shows that at least 164 fossil fuel lobbyists are gaining access through these government badges —a concerning oversight, given that disclosure rules for funding and objectives at COP30 do not apply to those on government badges.

A Mockery of the Process

The coalition’s findings arrive as 2025 is projected to become one of the hottest years on record , and amidst a flurry of fossil fuel expansion, with nearly $250 billion approved for new oil and gas projects since COP29.

"It's common sense that you cannot solve a problem by giving power to those who caused it," said Jax Bonbon from IBON International in the Philippines, a KBPO member. "It is infuriating to watch their influence deepen year after year, making a mockery of the process and of the communities suffering its consequences".

Members of the coalition argue that the continued presence of Big Polluters only serves to push "false 'solutions' that sustain their profit motives and undermine any hope of truly addressing the climate emergency".

The Urgent Call: Kick Big Polluters Out

With the fossil fuel industry "dwarfing the climate finance countries are scrambling to agree on" and its lobbyists given "front row seats to decide our very future" , the call from civil society for clear conflict of interest policies and accountability measures has never been louder.

"As long as Big Polluters are allowed inside these talks... real solutions will remain out of reach," stated Nathan Stewart, Coordinator for Fossil Free Politics.

The coalition, representing more than 450 organizations globally , demands an end to the corporate capture of the climate talks, insisting that the only way to achieve real climate justice and a livable future is to Kick Big Polluters Out of the UNFCCC process now.

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