Because the upcoming summit, COP28, is in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates got to choose the president, picking the CEO of its national oil company, Sultan al-Jaber.Īs to be expected at a summit focused on the environment, there are many environmental activists, more than 750 last year, by AP’s count. The host city runs the event and sets the agenda.

These annual meetings, which have occurred since 1995, convene in different cities each year. While the presence is palpable-such as oil countries and companies with huge, flashy stands in the trades pavilions-the influence is hard to quantify because much of the negotiating is done behind closed doors. “These COPs are often wining-and-dining fests for fossil fuel corporations that want to profit off of climate.”

“There’s outsized influence,” said Center for Biological Diversity’s Jean Su, who sits on the board that represents civil society and environmental groups at these meetings. Many of these same people, and possibly even more connected to fossil fuels, will likely be at this year’s official climate talks, known as Conference of Parties or COP, being hosted by the United Arab Emirates, a major oil producing country. But in reality, the livelihoods of these participants were more aligned with what’s keeping the problem going: fossil fuels.Ĭlose to 400 people connected in some way or another to fossil fuel industries attended last year’s United Nations’ climate talks in Egypt, a grouping that was larger than all but two of the national delegations sent by countries, according to a data analysis of the more than 24,000 participants by The Associated Press.Īs United Nations leaders, scientists and others called for an eventual elimination of coal, oil and natural gas, various delegations included attendees who in some way owed part or all of their paychecks to fossil fuel burning. They stated affiliations like the government of Brazil, Indigenous organizations of the Amazon, the Climate Registry. The badges said they were there to participate in negotiations to curb climate change.

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