Fossil fuel interests have large, yet often murky, presence at climate talks, AP analysis finds
FILE - The coal-fired power plant Uniper Scholven and a nearby BP refinery shine in the evening behind illuminated appartments in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Environmental activists say the lobbying of fossil fuel interests are the reason why climate talks have yet to produce an agreement to phase out coal, oil and natural gas, as scientists have repeatedly said must happen to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, like extreme weather events.
FILE - The sun sets behind the COP27 logo outside the venue of the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. As United Nations leaders, scientists and others called for an eventual elimination of coal, oil and natural gas, various delegations at the conference were connected to those fossil fuel industries.
Schwelgern coking plant, which is in operation for German steel producer thyssenkrupp Steel Europe operates in Duisburg, Germany, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. The producer 无毛视频� whose emissions in 2022 rivaled those of some oil and gas majors, according to data they reported to non-profit CDP 无毛视频� sent four people with three different delegations to COP27.
FILE - Environmental activists including Greta Thunberg, center left, march with other demonstrators during the Oily Money Out protest at Canary Wharf, in London, Oct. 19, 2023. 无毛视频淲e cannot trust these politicians and we cannot trust the processes of the COPs because the fossil fuel industries are tightening their grip around their processes and dictating their outcomes,无毛视频� Thunberg said.
Freight ships are seen on the Rhine River at the Schwelgern coking plant of German steel producer thyssenkrupp Steel Europe in Duisburg, Germany, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. The producer 无毛视频� whose emissions in 2022 rivaled those of some oil and gas majors, according to data they reported to non-profit CDP 无毛视频� sent four people with three different delegations to COP27.
FILE - Sultan al-Jaber, the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., speaks during the World Government Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Feb 14, 2023. Because the upcoming summit, COP28, is in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates got to choose the president, and picked al-Jaber.
FILE - Posters depicting Sultan al-Jaber, the COP28 President, are displayed at a bus stop outside the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, June 8, 2023. 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, al-Jaber.
A BP refinery is producing fuels in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Attendees at last year无毛视频檚 climate talks, COP27, included top executives of BP, Shell, Equinor and TotalEnergies.
FILE - Demonstrators participate in a protest against fossil fuels at the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, Nov. 18, 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. As United Nations leaders, scientists and others called for an eventual elimination of coal, oil and natural gas, members of various delegations at the conference were connected to those industries.
FILE - Attendees of the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit arrive, Nov. 6, 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. As United Nations leaders, scientists and others called for an eventual elimination of coal, oil and natural gas, various delegations at the conference were connected to those fossil fuel industries.
Children play in front of a blast furnace of German steel producer thyssenkrupp Steel Europe in Duisburg, Germany, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. The producer 无毛视频� whose emissions in 2022 rivaled those of some oil and gas majors, according to data they reported to non-profit CDP 无毛视频� sent four people with three different delegations to COP27.
Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, a holding company that includes a major California utility, stands for a photo in Rosemead, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. Pizarro says his firm doesn无毛视频檛 burn fossil fuels and he doesn无毛视频檛 consider it a fossil fuel company even though they get at least 40% of the electricity they supply from burning natural gas.
AES Indiana Petersburg Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant, operates in Petersburg, Ind., on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Environmental activists say the lobbying of fossil fuel interests are the reason why climate talks have yet to produce an agreement to phase out coal, oil and natural gas, as scientists have repeatedly said must happen to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, like extreme weather events.
FILE - People take part in a Fridays For Future global climate protest against fossil fuel use in Madrid, Spain, Sept. 15, 2023. As United Nations leaders, scientists and others called for an eventual elimination of coal, oil and natural gas, various delegations at the COP27 climate conference were connected to those fossil fuel industries.
Vesta Terminals holding oil is reflected in Tallinn, Estonia, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. Mercuria, part owner in Vesta Terminals, which operates storage terminals that hold crude oil, petroleum products and other liquids, sent six people to the COP in Egypt.
The badges said they were there to participate in negotiations to curb climate change. They stated affiliations like the government of Brazil, Indigenous organizations of the Amazon, the Climate Registry. But in reality, the livelihoods of these participants were more aligned with what无毛视频檚 keeping the problem going: fossil fuels.
Close to 400 people connected in some way or another to fossil fuel industries attended last year无毛视频檚 United Nations无毛视频� 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.
As 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. Many of these same people, and possibly even more connected to fossil fuels, will likely be at this year无毛视频檚 official climate talks, known as Conference of Parties or COP, being hosted by the United Arab Emirates, a major oil producing country.
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 outsized influence,无毛视频� said Center for Biological Diversity无毛视频檚 Jean Su, who sits on the board that represents civil society and environmental groups at these meetings. 无毛视频淭hese COPs are often wining-and-dining fests for fossil fuel corporations that want to profit off of climate.无毛视频�
While the presence is palpable无毛视频搒uch as oil countries and companies with huge, flashy stands in the trades pavilions无毛视频搕he influence is hard to quantify because much of the negotiating is done behind closed doors.
These annual meetings, which have occurred since 1995, convene in different cities each year. The host city runs the event and sets the agenda. 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.
As to be expected at a summit focused on the environment, there are many environmental activists, more than 750 last year, by AP无毛视频檚 count. But they say their voices are not being heard, and instead the lobbying of fossil fuel interests are why climate talks have yet to produce an agreement to phase out coal, oil and natural gas, as scientists have repeatedly said must happen to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, like extreme weather events.
WIDE RANGE OF AFFILIATIONS
The AP analyzed the affiliations of attendees of COP27, reviewing details they offered on their badges. Those details were checked against lists of operators and owners of coal mines, oil fields and natural gas plants, as well as manufacturers of carbon-intensive materials like steel and cement.
Attendees in 2022 included top executives of BP, Shell, Equinor and TotalEnergies. The head of the world无毛视频檚 largest oil and gas firm, Saudi Aramco, was at the site on a 无毛视频渟ideline无毛视频� event. And al-Jaber, chief of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, was also there and will be in charge of this year无毛视频檚 climate negotiations. The operations and products of those companies and others are huge contributors to climate change.
It wasn无毛视频檛 just fossil fuel giants that showed up.
Take Mercuria Energy. The Switzerland-based firm calls itself 无毛视频渙ne of the world无毛视频檚 largest energy traders,无毛视频� with 69% of their 2022 traded volumes in oil and natural gas. The firm is also a part-owner in Vesta Terminals, which operates storage terminals that hold crude oil, petroleum products and other liquids, as well as a marine fuels company called Minerva Bunkering.
Mercuria sent six people to the COP in Egypt. Its chief trader, Magid Shenouda, went as part of the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin. Others from Mercuria went as members of delegations for the Brazilian government, the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Emissions Trading Association and Winrock International, a nonprofit that works to help poorer countries with social, environmental and agricultural issues.
Alden Meyer, who has been to all but one COP and is an analyst for the European think-tank E3G, says the big numbers of attendees connected to fossil fuels show these industries see this 无毛视频渆ither a threat or maybe an opportunity or both for their business,无毛视频� but the system isn无毛视频檛 set up to tell motives and lobbying efforts.
Meyer says the fossil fuel interests have huge influence over the event, but the influence begins ahead of the talks.
Last year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce无毛视频檚 Global Energy Institute sent four employees to the summit. Marty Durbin, the institute无毛视频檚 president and former executive of the American Petroleum Institute, says the institute is a 无毛视频渉uge无毛视频� supporter of natural gas and the industry should have a voice in the talks.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 know why we无毛视频檙e trying to push people away instead of saying, 无毛视频楥ome in and let无毛视频檚 all work on this together,'无毛视频� said Durbin, speaking from an oil and gas conference in October in Abu Dhabi.
Su disagrees, saying: 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 the fox guarding the henhouse and they should not be at the table when it无毛视频檚 governments who have the jurisdiction to regulate.无毛视频�
Follow AP无毛视频檚 climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment and follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at http://twitter.com/borenbears