The gas and oil industry has the most delegates at the climate conference

The gas and oil industry has more delegates to the COP26 international climate conference than any country. According to an analysis by NGOs, including Global Witness, the BBC reported on Monday. Activists led by Global Witness analyzed a list of participants in a conference in Glasgow, Scotland, which was published by the UN at the beginning of the summit. On the list of accredited delegates, a total of 503 people with ties to fossil fuel companies were identified. According to activists, these delegates are lobbying for oil and gas companies and should be banned from attending this largest climate conference since the international community signed the Paris Agreement in 2015. "The fossil fuel industry has been denying (climate change) for decades and delaying real action in response to the climate crisis," said Murray Worthy of Global Witness. "Its impact is one of the main reasons why 25 years of UN climate talks have not led to a real reduction in global emissions (greenhouse gases)," he added. Approximately 40,000 people have been accredited to the Glasgow Summit. Among the countries, Brazil has the largest delegation, with a negotiating team of 479 people. The British delegation has 230 members. For the purposes of this analysis, Global Witness, together with the non-profit organization Corporate Accountability and others, defined a lobbyist for the gas and oil industries as a person who is a member of a trade association delegation or a group representing the interests of these industries. Activists also found that lobbyists for the gas and oil industries were also located directly in delegations from Canada and Russia. A total of 100 fossil fuel companies are represented at COP26.