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9th November 2021
05:12pm GMT
To put that into context, there are currently around 4,000 attendees from 24 different countries at the summit in Glasgow - with UN data suggesting that Brazil has the most with 479 delegates - meaning that around an eighth of those lobbying are direct proponents for the main sector driving global warming.
In setting the parameters for which people class as said fossil fuel lobbyists, their research has focused in on attendees who are part of a delegation from a trade association or a member of a group that represents the interests of oil and gas companies.
Pretty straightforward, it's just shocking how many of them are there.
The full attendee list was obtained by Global Witness (GW), an investigative human rights NGO that is helping campaigners, Glasgow Calls Out Polluters, who want these lobbyists removed from the conference due to their clear bias and conflicting interests.
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Credit: Getty - 'Fridays For Future' COP26 Scotland March[/caption]
One of the largest single delegations identified is the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), with 103 members present, including three people from British Petroleum (BP).
While many would argue that it is better to have, for all intents and purposes, the opposition around the table for critical diplomatic talks like these, it's understandable that many struggle to sincerely believe they hope to protect anything other than business interests.
GW's Murray Worthy stated said "The fossil fuel industry has spent decades denying and delaying real action on the climate crisis, which is why this is such a huge problem", adding that "their influence is one of the biggest reasons why 25 years of UN climate talks have not led to real cuts in global emissions."
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