At least 480 lobbyists working on carbon capture and storage (CCS) have been allowed to take part in the United Nations climate change summit, known as Cop29, the Guardian has revealed.
This is five more CCS lobbyists than attended last year's climate change consultations, even though the total number of participants was significantly reduced from around 85,000 to around 70,000.
The number of CCS lobbyists at Cop29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, outnumbered the core national delegations from powerful countries such as the United States and Canada. Nearly half of lobbyists were granted access as members of national delegations, giving them greater access to negotiations, including 55 who were invited as “guests” by the Azerbaijani government, which is hosting this year's climate summit. It was included based on some opinions at the meeting. They call it “red carpet treatment.”
The figures were calculated by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and shared exclusively with the Guardian, amid concerns from activists that the climate change summit featured too much “false solutions”. Announced.
“We are witnessing fossil fuel greenwashing by those seeking to delay the inevitable phase-out of fossil fuels,” said CIEL activist Rachel Kennerly. “The presence of this large lobbyist is evidence that the carbon capture industry is intent on pushing CCS technology in the wrong direction. You cannot “purify” coal, oil, or gas by doing so. ”
On Friday, the Guardian reported that 1,773 coal, oil and gas lobbyists have been allowed to take part in climate change negotiations, including 132 invited by host countries. It became clear.
CCS has been heavily promoted at Cop29, with the UK and UAE.
The oil and gas industry has been advocating CCS for many years. If this is treated as the primary means of decarbonisation, companies could continue to sell fossil fuels and thus maintain their primary business model.
But activists have long derided the technology, pointing out that it doesn't yet exist on a large scale and that the local harms of fossil fuel extraction don't exist. that it could be dangerous. And despite being branded as a climate-fighter, so far it has primarily been used to capture carbon from oil wells and inject it underground to squeeze more fuel out of depleted fields. has been used for. This is a process known as enhanced oil recovery.
The world's leading climate change authority, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has said that CCS, or CCUS, including carbon 'utilization' for fertilizer production and enhanced oil recovery, should play a role in global decarbonization plans. said. But last year, the group's leader said overreliance on technology could push the world beyond a climate tipping point.
In 2022, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a research organization, found that the number of poorly performing carbon capture projects significantly exceeds the number of successful projects. This year, they found that the use of fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage is unlikely to be economically competitive with renewable energy-based solutions.
“The high number of CCS lobbyists at Cop29 highlights the significant investments the fossil fuel industry is making to secure its future, despite the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels.” said Kennerly. “Investing in this expensive and unreliable technology locks up fossil fuels and wastes precious time and money that we cannot afford.” There are also significant safety risks.”
Negotiators approved rules for the use of carbon markets on the first day of negotiations this week. Carbon market rules fall under Article 6 of the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement, with a subsection of Article 6 allowing carbon credits resulting from emissions reductions and removals. CIEL is concerned that this subsection may increase reliance on CCS. And activists worry that lobbyists are pressuring negotiators to enact rules that could facilitate funding for the technology.
For the analysis, CIEL scoured the UN list of individuals who have registered to participate in Cop29, revealing their affiliation and identifying all those involved in CCS and CCUS projects according to the International Energy Agency's database with public records. Total of other companies and organizations. A record of defending technology.
Fossil fuel industry documents released by a 2021 US Congressional inquiry suggest oil industry leaders have long recognized the limitations of CCUS and its potential as a lifeline for fossil fuels. .
The Guardian has contacted the Global CCS Institute and the CCS Association for comment.
