A coalition of over 450 environmental and civil society groups identified major corporate delegates entering the COP31 climate talks through multiple credential avenues, including official state delegations. Representatives from fossil fuel, Big Tech, industrial agriculture, and financial entities outnumber delegates from some vulnerable states, such as Nepal, by six to one. Specifically, 222 industry delegates accessed the summit via government-nominated party overflow badges, while dozens more attended as host country guests. To resolve these imbalances, advocates are urging the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to adopt an official accountability framework and formal…
Key points
Disproportionate corporate access threatens to prevent negotiators from agreeing to an ac…: Disproportionate corporate access threatens to prevent negotiators from agreeing to an actionable timeline for phasing out fossil fuels.
The heavy corporate presence diminishes the voice of climate-vulnerable populations suffe…: The heavy corporate presence diminishes the voice of climate-vulnerable populations suffering severe livelihood losses and acute survival challenges.
A coalition of 450 organizations is pushing the UN climate body to institute strict confl…: A coalition of 450 organizations is pushing the UN climate body to institute strict conflict-of-interest policies and an accountability framework.
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The report by Kick the Big Polluters Out, a global coalition of more than 450 environmental and civil society organisations, said representatives of major fossil fuel companies, Big Tech, industrial agriculture and food industries have accessed the climate talks through various routes.
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Environmentalists said this could be a key reason why the climate talks may once again fail to agree on a timeline or a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels despite UN chief Antonio Guterres repeatedly stressing the need to shift to clean energy systems through the first week of COP31. "You can't put out a fire while handing the matches to the arsonists. And you certainly can't expect the arsonists to write the evacuation plan," said Lien Vandamme of Centre for International Environmental Law. "It's, therefore, no surprise that the UN climate talks continue to fail in delivering the climate action that is needed."
According to the report, based on an analysis of registered participants, there are 222 delegates hosted on "party overflow" badges,…
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