According to a new report from climate change advocacy group Kick Big Polluters Out coalition, nearly 2,500 fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to the COP28 climate conference in the United Arab Emirates.
In comparison, approximately 600 fossil fuel lobbyists attended the COP27 talks in Egypt in 2022.
The attendance of Big Oil lobbyists outpaced the quantity of delegates sent by every country in the world to COP28 except two, said Kick Big Polluters Out.
The advocacy group went on to say that the lobbyists’ record attendance is “beyond justification” and a sign that Big Oil is trying to push its agenda at climate conferences ahead of the health of the planet.