At least 1,300 employees of organizations representing fossil fuel interests have signed up to attend the United Nations climate talks in Dubai this year; that’s more than three times the number found in an Associated Press analysis of last year’s talks; New rules came into effect requiring participants to disclose their employment. .
That figure may have increased due to new disclosure rules, as well as a surge in attendance as the Earth reels from a year of record temperatures and devastating extreme weather attributed to climate change — conference registrations are nearly double last year’s talks. The United Nations body responsible for running the conference also published details of many more participants than in previous years, including people not considered part of official state delegations.
The hundreds of fossil fuel-related people make up just a small fraction of the 90,000 people who have registered to attend the climate summit known as COP28. But environmentalists have repeatedly questioned their presence at an event where meaningful negotiations should be aimed at the heart of their business.
Bob Deans, director of strategic engagement at the U.S.-based Natural Resources Defense Council, said his group hopes this year’s talks will be the point where oil and gas “can transition from being the biggest part of the climate problem to finally being part of it.” of correction.”
“The industry needs to move away from a business model predicated on destroying the planet,” said Deans, whose group recorded the participation of nearly two dozen people. “This business model needs to change. Dubai should be the starting point.”
They said companies represented by more than 1,300 employees account for a large share of global emissions and therefore should be present at the conference.
COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber has come under criticism for his other job, heading the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company, in the months since he began his mandate to chair COP28. In his opening remarks, Al-Jaber addressed the question about the appropriate role of fossil fuel companies.
“Let history reflect that the Presidency made a bold choice to proactively engage with oil and gas companies,” El-Jaber said. He praised many of these companies for their commitment to reducing emissions but added: “I must say, this is not enough and I know they can do more.”
On Saturday, al-Jaber announced that 50 oil companies representing nearly half of global production have pledged to reach near-zero methane emissions by 2030 and end routine flaring. Experts and environmentalists have called this important and significant, but still not enough.
COP28 comes at a time when there is a growing imperative to reduce the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. Global warming reached 1.25 degrees Celsius in October compared to pre-industrial levels, according to the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. In its landmark report in September, the UN warned that “the window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all is rapidly closing.”
Fossil fuel companies have been involved in talks for a long time, first in 1995. Research from the advocacy group Kick Big Polluters Out Coalition shows that four of the “big five” oil and gas companies: Shell, Chevron, TotalEnergies and BP – sent representatives to annual climate talks almost every year.
Each of the four companies said in their statements that they attended the COP to develop green or low-carbon technologies and work towards net zero commitments. Low carbon can mean things like biofuels, hydrogen development, and carbon capture and storage. All four have pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
The AP arrived at its tally for COP28 by analyzing the United Nations’ list of prospective participants to review the details they submitted during registration, including the company they represent. These details were checked against lists of operators and owners of coal mines, oil fields and natural gas facilities, as well as producers of carbon-intensive materials such as steel and cement. It also included trade associations representing these interests.
TotalEnergies has signed up to send a dozen people to COP28, according to UN data. TotalEnergies will have six experts on climate, carbon markets and biodiversity on the calls, and CEO Patrick Pouyanné will speak at a side event, said Paul Naveau, the company’s head of media relations.
“The topics addressed at these events are at the heart of the company’s passion; Our experts join to listen to the discussions and support collective action,” Naveau said.
Naveau said in response to AP questions that no TotalEnergies employees participated in or even participated in negotiations between the countries.
Naveau highlighted the company’s plans to devote a third of its capital expenditure to “low-carbon” energy by 2028. He also said the company was transparent about its exhibitors in Dubai “to dispel the (mis)conception that our company’s presence could be negative.”
A 20-year Kick Big Polluters Out analysis showed that Shell sent the most people to interviews overall and most consistently. The company’s average over the past 20 years was six, but that was likely an undercount since the UN did not require participants to list their “home organization” before this year.
Shell’s international policy positions support phasing out coal, expanding renewable energy sources, and treating natural gas as a “partner” in renewable energy sources. Natural gas emits less carbon than most other fossil fuels, but still contributes to climate change, according to the International Energy Agency. The IEA says this has a “limited role” in the transition from coal to renewable energy.
The Kick Big Polluters Out survey also identified the most frequent participants.
Arthur Lee, a 30-year employee of Chevron, said on his LinkedIn page that he has attended every COP since 1999 and has signed up to attend COP28. As an expert on carbon capture and storage, he contributed to the official UN climate report, the fourth IPCC assessment.
Shell’s chief climate advisor David Hone is in Dubai to attend the annual climate talks for at least the 17th time. Net-zero emissions targets “will require significant attention to the development of carbon removal practices and technologies,” Hone wrote in a blog post ahead of the talks.
Neither Shell nor Chevon would make the two men available for a meeting.
Fossil fuel companies are heavily reliant on carbon capture to meet net-zero targets, although some experts have expressed doubts about increasing it enough. According to the IEA, it currently prevents around 0.1% of the energy sector’s carbon emissions from reaching the atmosphere.
Carbon capture and storage are unproven technologies at the necessary scale, said Rachel Rose Jackson, director of climate research and international policy at Corporate Accountability, a group in the coalition that produced the Flush Out the Big Polluters analysis.
“This is a massive diversion of resources, capacity and money that could go to solutions that we know work, that are cost-effective, reduce emissions and keep fossil fuels in the ground,” he said. “These so-called solutions are often dangerous, distracting.”
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