Outrage as fossil fuel and nuclear power firms swamp COP26 with 1000 lobbyists

Firms involved in fossil fuel, big business and nuclear power have sent 1,000 staff to COP26.

Representatives of Shell, BP, Equinor, Chevron, Total, Gazprom and other major oil and gas companies were dispatched as the world bids to save the planet.

Climate sceptic groups sent 11 representatives â€" including one led by Myron Ebell, a former aide to climate change denier and ex-US President Donald Trump.

Documents uncovered by Glasgow-based investigatory website The Ferret found multinationals like McDonald’s, Walmart, Bayer, HSBC, PepsiCo, Nestlé and Microsoft are represented.

A protest on the streets of Glasgow calling for 'real progress' to be made by Governments to reduce climate change ( Getty Images)

Meanwhile, there are also delegates from pesticide producers and tobacco firms.

Friends of the Earth’s Dr Richard Dixon criticised the list of lobbyists and said: “The last people you want at COP are big oil firms who profit from fuelling climate change.”

Last week the UN published a 1,616- page list of 39,000 people signed up to attend COP26, which ends on Friday.

It includes 233 linked to fossil fuels, including some from Russia, Kuwait and Japan.

Friends of the Earth's Dr Richard Dixon criticised the list of lobbyists ( MAVERICK PHOTO AGENCY)

As many as 141 registered from nuclear power, including the UK’s Nuclear Industry Association and the World Nuclear Association (WNA).

According to the International Chamber of Commerce, the “core negotiations” at COP26 were a matter for governments alone.

People participate in a protest rally during a global day of action on climate change in Glasgow today ( AFP via Getty Images)

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But the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers said: “It’s important for energy industry actors to attend COPs as observers to hear first hand from decision-makers who set the ambition that they expect us to deliver.”

The WNA said its team represented a sector which must build new capacity “on a much larger scale if we are to reach net-zero."

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