Lobbying Summits 'attended by 5,350 fossil fuel advocates in last four years'

More than 5,000 fossil fuel lobbyists were given access to the UN climate summits over the past four years, a period marked by a rise in extreme weather, inadequate climate action and record oil and gas expansion, research has revealed.

- Nina Lakhani

Lobbyists representing the interests of the oil, gas and coal industries have been allowed to participate in the annual climate negotiations where states are meant to attend in good faith and commit to ambitious policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The roughly 5,350 lobbyists mingling with world leaders and climate negotiators in recent years worked for at least 859 fossil fuel organisations including trade groups, foundations and 180 oil, gas and coal companies involved in every part of the supply chain from exploration and production to distribution and equipment, research shared exclusively with the Guardian has found.