COP28: Combating Fossil Fuel Disinformation at Belém Summit and Future Climate Talks

Fossil Fuel Industry’s Overwhelming Presence Threatens Climate Summit Progress

For years, fossil fuel industry representatives have dominated international climate summits, vastly outnumbering delegations from climate-vulnerable nations and effectively hampering meaningful progress on global climate action. Their persistent tactics of disinformation and policy obstruction have raised serious concerns about the integrity of climate negotiations worldwide.

Recent analysis from the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition reveals the staggering scale of this imbalance. Over the past four years alone, more than 5,350 oil, gas, and coal lobbyists have gained access to Conference of the Parties (COP) negotiations. At last year’s summit in Azerbaijan, fossil fuel lobbyists numbered 1,773—a figure that exceeds the combined delegation of 1,033 representatives from the ten most climate-vulnerable nations by 70 percent.

This disproportionate industry presence coincides with troubling policy outcomes. Current national fossil fuel production plans are projected to produce double the emissions compatible with limiting warming to 1.5°C by 2030, highlighting the real-world consequences of allowing industry influence to outweigh scientific consensus.

“Climate policy must be guided by science, evidence, and justice—not fossil fuel industry influence,” notes a recent report from the Union of Concerned Scientists, which documents how major oil corporations continue to act as primary drivers and beneficiaries of climate disinformation campaigns.

The report details how these tactics mirror decades-old strategies: fossil fuel companies have consistently funded climate denial initiatives, created confusion around scientific consensus, and deliberately delayed meaningful action while continuing to profit from carbon-intensive operations.

Industry investment patterns further reinforce concerns about their commitment to climate goals. Research shows that the 250 largest oil and gas companies allocate negligible funding toward clean energy development compared to their substantial fossil fuel extraction activities, effectively disregarding international climate commitments.

Some progress has been made in addressing industry influence. In 2023, COP participants were required for the first time to disclose any affiliations with fossil fuel companies. While this transparency measure helped expose the scale of industry presence, many climate advocates argue it doesn’t go far enough.

A coalition of civil society groups is now pushing for stronger protections of information integrity at the upcoming COP30. Their statement urges participants to “unequivocally recognize that upholding information integrity on climate change is a prerequisite for effective climate action, democratic principles, public health, and human rights.”

Multiple initiatives have emerged to confront industry disinformation. The Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition is working to classify climate misinformation as a serious risk under laws regulating search engines and social media platforms. Meanwhile, legal advocates are pursuing litigation against fossil fuel companies for “greenwashing”—the practice of misleading the public about their environmental impact through deceptive advertising.

The problem extends beyond traditional fossil fuel companies. Big Tech platforms have also come under scrutiny for their role in amplifying climate disinformation for advertising revenue, creating a parallel challenge that climate negotiators must address.

Advocates are now calling for more dramatic steps at COP30, including barring fossil fuel companies and their representatives from shaping negotiations altogether. They also urge future COP hosts to refuse partnerships with public relations firms tied to fossil fuel interests, citing inherent conflicts of interest.

“A summit free from such conflicts of interest would empower nations most affected by extreme heat, rising seas, and other escalating climate impacts,” advocates argue, “ensuring their voices are not drowned out by lobbyists and spin doctors for the very industry primarily driving destructive, deadly climate change.”

The stakes couldn’t be higher. With the 1.5°C target increasingly at risk, addressing industry influence has become not just a matter of procedural fairness but a prerequisite for effective climate action. A climate summit liberated from fossil fuel industry interference would prioritize those most affected by the climate crisis and ensure that science and justice—not corporate interests—guide global climate policy.