More than 100 corporations and industry groups linked to fossil fuel interests have sent delegations to the UN climate talks in Antalya, according to an analysis by the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition.
The summit, known as Cop31, has drawn over 92,000 registered delegates, making it the largest gathering in the three decades of these annual climate negotiations.
The coalition, which consists of about 450 environmental organizations, identified 103 groups with records of obstructing climate action or furthering oil, coal, and gas interests. These delegations include 60 industry bodies, 16 financial institutions, six industrial agriculture groups, three big tech companies, and 20 cross-sector organizations, The Guardian reported.
Disproportionate influence at the summit
The presence of these corporate delegations often exceeds the size of national teams representing countries most vulnerable to climate change. Nepal, which experienced a fatal glacier collapse this year linked to global heating, sent a delegation one-sixth the size of the combined fossil-fuel-linked groups.
“Big polluters have caused loss of livelihood, emotional damage, trauma and survival challenges for our people,” Prakash Dahal of Pro Public/Friends of the Earth Nepal told The Guardian. “We cannot tolerate the disproportionate space given to them compared to civil society and our country delegations.”
Banks attending the summit provided fossil fuel financing
Financial institutions remain central to the summit's makeup, with 30 attending banks having provided more than $2.2tn in fossil fuel financing over the past five years. Major banks in attendance include JPMorganChase, Citigroup, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Bank of America, and Barclays.
Other large delegations include the International Emissions Trading Association, which has 29 people at the summit, and Exxon, which has 13. TotalEnergies and BlackRock have also sent representatives. TotalEnergies stated on its website that it aims to be a major player in the energy transition and intends to drive progress across the industry, according to The Guardian.
Advocates demand disclosure of funding sources for participants
Environmental advocates are calling for stricter rules regarding conflicts of interest for those influencing climate policy. US senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who is attending the talks, proposed that entry should require a disclosure form detailing funding sources within the climate space.
“I think it’s important to know who the infiltrators are, who the moles are in the climate conversation and who are the legitimate participants,” Whitehouse said. “If people want to come they’ve got to come clean about their bad behaviour and they can’t hide it out in the real world and then come here and act like they’re responsible.”
Private jet usage in Antalya
Oxfam reported that 94 private jet flights have landed in Antalya since Saturday, a figure 23 times higher than the typical average. These flights carried 18 individuals identified as billionaires by Forbes, including both climate advocates and fossil fuel executives.
Transparency remains a central concern, as nearly one in five participants at the talks did not disclose their relationship to the delegation they were attending with. UNFCCC rules grant national governments the sole authority to determine the composition of their delegations, including the distribution of Party Overflow badges.
Questions about delegate registration
How are fossil fuel lobbyists able to attend these climate talks?
Under current UNFCCC rules, national governments maintain the authority to decide who is included in their official delegations. This process allows various companies and industry groups to secure badges through state-sponsored or other permitted channels.
What specific groups are being tracked by the coalition?
The Kick Big Polluters Out coalition monitors 103 groups, including 60 fossil fuel industry associations and 16 financial companies. These groups are identified based on their track records of either furthering fossil fuel interests or actively working to obstruct climate action.
Has the UN responded to calls for better disclosure?
While advocates continue to press for improved transparency and conflict-of-interest disclosures, the rules governing delegate registration remain at the discretion of national governments.
Worth a look