Message From the Editor

COP27, which concludes this week in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, will be remembered as the “African COP,” the first UN climate negotiations summit where “loss and damage” was on the official negotiating agenda, the COP where food and farming got bigger billing than ever before.

In some circles, it’ll also be remembered as the COP where polluting interests were out in force. Our journalists on the ground in Egypt and working remotely brought us stories about sanctioned Russian coal barons, companies with fossil fuel ties dominating COP’s list of sponsors, a doubling of the number of Big Ag delegates, African pushback against gas, and next year’s host, the UAE, promoting its state oil and gas company.

We covered all this and more, keeping the spotlight on the corporate and government interests pushing false solutions, rather than the “bolder climate action” UN Secretary General António Guterres called for in his remarks opening COP27.

Dive into our COP27 Coverage collection. The newsletter will pause next week for U.S. Thanksgiving, but stay tuned for our post-COP coverage as our journalists keep chasing stories that hold the powerful to account.

Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: [email protected]. Want the scoop on new UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s climate stance? Sign up for our UK newsletter.

Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director

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Image credit: Phoebe Cooke

Fossil Fuel-Linked Companies Dominate Sponsorship of COP27

— By Stella Levantesi (4 min. read) —

Eighteen of the 20 companies sponsoring U.N. climate talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh either directly support or partner with oil and gas companies, according to a new analysis shared with DeSmog. 

The findings underscore concerns over the role of the fossil fuel industry at the negotiations, known as COP27, which have become a focal point for deals to exploit African natural gas. 

Canadian Oil Companies ‘Lying’ About Their Net-Zero Targets, Says COP27 Delegate

— By Geoff Dembicki (4 min. read) —

For the past two weeks, delegates from Canada’s tar sands have been spreading a deceptively reassuring message at the United Nations COP27 climate talks in Egypt: the oil and gas producers responsible for causing the climate crisis are also capable of fixing it.

“There’s a recognition that there’s a massive decarbonization challenge ahead of us as Canadians and globally. No one party can do that on their own, we have to be working together,” Kendall Dilling, president of an industry organization known as the Pathways Alliance, told the Canadian Press. Alliance companies, which represent 95 percent of tar sands production, are promising to slash the industry’s annual emissions by 22 million tonnes within the decade.

UAE Promotes Its State Oil Company at COP27

— By Adam Barnett (3 min. read) —

The United Arab Emirates has been criticised for promoting oil and gas as a clean source of energy, and for backing “false solutions” such as carbon capture technology, at the UN COP27 climate summit in Egypt, ahead of hosting the event next year. 

The Gulf petrostate’s pavilion features displays touting its “decarbonisation efforts” and its “climate action journey” – including a stand run by the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the world’s twelfth largest oil producing company.

Big Ag Delegates More Than Double at COP27

— By Clare Carlile, Rachel Sherrington, and Hazel Healy (6 min. read) —

The number of delegates representing big agribusiness has more than doubled at the UN climate talks since last year, leading to concerns from campaigners at access enjoyed by high-carbon companies attending the Egypt summit. 

DeSmog counted the number of registered COP27 delegates who were either directly linked to the world’s largest agribusiness firms – such as meatpackers JBS, food corporation Cargill, or biotech leaders Bayer – or participating in the UN talks as part of delegations that represent industry interests.

At COP27, US and Partners Announce More Funds for ‘Efficient’ Fertilizer as Industry Reports Massive Profits

— By Dana Drugmand (6 min. read) —

While the world’s top fertilizer producers report record profits and farmers worldwide face ongoing price spikes for chemical inputs, the agrochemical industry is touting innovation and increased efficiency as its solution to the economic and environmental impacts of its products. 

It is a narrative that senior government officials, including those from the United States and the European Union, leaned into over the weekend at various agriculture-focused events at or on the sidelines of COP27, the annual United Nations climate negotiations, held this year in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

From the Climate Disinformation Database: Net Zero Watch

Net Zero Watch (NZW) is a campaign group launched and managed by the Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) that claims to “scrutinise” the UK government’s net zero emissions plans and provide a “clear view of the reality of climate and energy policies”. The GWPF is the UK’s most prominent climate science denial group, with its associated “Foundation” having been founded by former chancellor Nigel Lawson with the purpose of combating what it describes as “extremely damaging and harmful policies” designed to mitigate climate change.

Read the full profile and browse other individuals and organizations in our Climate Disinformation Database and Koch Network Database.