The Cop30 climate summit in Belém has become the most heavily influenced United Nations climate conference yet by fossil fuel interests, according to new analysis revealing that more than 1,600 lobbyists linked to oil, gas and coal have been granted access to the negotiations. The figure means that one in every 25 registered participants represents fossil fuel interests, outnumbering every national delegation except that of host country Brazil.

The findings, published by the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition, highlight a continued surge in fossil fuel representation at global climate talks. While the absolute number is lower than at Cop29 in Baku and Cop28 in Dubai, the proportion relative to total attendance is higher this year due to reduced participation overall. Since 2021, approximately 7,000 fossil fuel lobbyists have participated in the annual summits, even as the world experiences intensifying heatwaves, storms and other climate-driven disasters.

The presence of lobbyists far exceeds the combined delegations of the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations. Countries that have endured repeated typhoons, crippling droughts or catastrophic hurricanes in the past year are dramatically outnumbered by individuals with commercial ties to fossil fuel operations. In some cases, the ratio exceeds 40 or even 50 lobbyists to one official delegate from the most affected nations.

The summit opened with calls for truth-based climate action, yet the overwhelming presence of industry representatives underscores longstanding concerns about corporate capture of the UN climate process. The fossil fuel industry has a well-documented history of influencing climate policy, shaping narratives, and obstructing emissions-reduction commitments. Despite a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice earlier this year indicating that continued fossil fuel expansion may constitute an internationally wrongful act, many governments continue to subsidize new oil and gas projects. Since Cop29, almost $250 billion has been allocated to future fossil fuel infrastructure.

The KBPO analysis identified lobbyists affiliated with major industry associations, trade groups, extractive corporations and financial institutions that profit from continued fossil fuel development. Delegates linked to globally recognized oil and gas corporations appear through organizations such as the International Emissions Trading Association and the International Chamber of Commerce. Domestic industry associations within host and participating nations also contribute significant numbers.

The scale of fossil fuel participation is further obscured by a lack of transparency in many national delegations. More than half of all participants registered under government delegations at Cop30 have not disclosed their affiliations, according to a separate analysis by Transparency International. Several countries provided no affiliation details for any delegation member, making it impossible to determine how many additional representatives may be tied to polluting industries.

Although the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) introduced new transparency requirements this year, the rules apply only to non-government participants. Official delegations remain exempt, leaving loopholes that allow industry representatives to join national teams without public disclosure. Calls for stronger conflict-of-interest policies have circulated for years, yet no binding protections have been adopted.

The contrast between restricted access for many frontline and Indigenous groups and the ease with which industry representatives gain entry has further inflamed concerns. Civil society organizations argue that the heavy presence of fossil fuel lobbyists undermines the credibility of a forum intended to negotiate the global phase-out of planet-heating fuels. For many observers, the situation raises questions about whether governments are negotiating climate policy in the public interest or in alignment with commercial agendas.

The rising concentration of lobbyists also reflects decades of documented industry influence. Investigations have shown that fossil fuel corporations, with support from powerful governments, have shaped international climate governance since the early 1970s, even influencing the drafting of the UNFCCC itself. Their role in successive Cops has continued despite growing scientific consensus on the need to rapidly curtail fossil fuel production.

Pressure is now mounting on the UN to institute an explicit ban on fossil fuel lobbying at climate summits, mirroring the exclusion of tobacco companies from public-health negotiations. Critics argue that the integrity of the climate process depends on reducing the influence of industries whose financial interests conflict with the science-based imperative to phase out fossil fuels.

As Cop30 continues in Belém, the debate over industry presence has become a defining issue. While governments discuss pathways to limit global heating, the unprecedented concentration of fossil fuel interests inside the negotiating halls has intensified scrutiny of the UN climate architecture itself and renewed calls for structural reform to protect the process from corporate interference.