As climate change threatens the world with unprecedented environmental and social risks, Transparency International and the Anti-Corruption Data Collective caution that corporate interests may be undermining global climate action. Their latest report, ‘COP Co-Opted? How Corruption and Undue Influence Threaten Multilateral Climate Action’, exposes the potential for corporate and fossil fuel interests to influence the upcoming COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. The report suggests that Azerbaijan, which is a major fossil fuel exporter, could leverage COP29 to promote its own oil and gas agenda, posing a risk to meaningful climate negotiations.
The severity of the climate crisis demands urgent, evidence-based, and coordinated global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and phase out fossil fuels. Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels remains essential to protecting ecosystems and human security. At the Conference of the Parties (COP), world leaders, scientists, activists, and industry representatives meet annually to assess progress and set new commitments for climate action under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The COP presidency rotates annually among five UN regions, with the host country’s president expected to elevate international climate ambition. The UAE, host of COP28, committed all Parties to phase out fossil fuels by 2050, yet used its COP presidency to sign substantial new oil and gas deals. The COP28 president even leveraged some climate-related meetings to secure business for the UAE’s state oil company, reflecting a troubling disconnect between the summit’s goals and the host country’s actions.
According to the report, the structure of COP as the central forum for setting climate policy is vulnerable to capture by fossil fuel interests, risking undue corporate influence. Azerbaijan’s selection as COP29 host has intensified concerns among stakeholders, with EU and Western delegations questioning the country’s reluctance to prioritise decarbonisation. Further, Urgewald and CCE Bankwatch Network recently published findings on Azerbaijan’s oil expansion plans, raising fears over whose voices will dominate at COP29.
The report points out that at COP28, hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2023, all Parties agreed to a 2050 target for transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems. However, during its presidency, the UAE reportedly leveraged the summit to secure numerous new oil and gas contracts for its state oil company, with the COP28 president even using some COP-related meetings to facilitate these deals. Despite the collective commitment to a global energy transition, political and industry leaders worldwide have continued to signal their intent to exploit new fossil fuel reserves.
This year’s host country, Azerbaijan, embodies many of the risks facing COP’s integrity: a large fossil fuel sector, an autocratic government, and high levels of public sector corruption. But, as the report emphasises, the risk of corporate co-optation extends beyond Azerbaijan. Hosts of COPs 28, 29, and 30—UAE, Azerbaijan, and Brazil—are all major fossil fuel exporters. While this “Troika” claims to support the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees, evidence from the UAE and early analysis of COP29 suggest that these hosts may prioritise domestic oil interests, signing new fossil fuel deals and using COP events to gloss over human rights and environmental records.
The report argues that without significant reforms, COP’s lack of defenses against corporate influence and corruption jeopardises the summit’s climate mission. It recommends a series of safeguards to restore integrity to the process, calling on the UNFCCC and the global climate community to address these issues urgently. Suggested reforms include enhancing transparency and accountability in selecting host countries, ensuring responsible private sector engagement, and instituting measures to protect against corruption and greenwashing by governments and corporations alike. The integrity of COP—and the future of global climate action—rests on immediate action to keep private interests from undermining the conference’s goals.