Brazil Takes Aim at Fossil Fuel Lobby with Bold COP30 Transparency Push

Belém, Brazil - Brazil is shaking up COP30 with a simple but forceful move to curb fossil fuel influence: asking attendees to publicly reveal who paid for their trip and to affirm support for the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal.

More than 1,600 fossil fuel-linked delegates are at this year’s summit - a presence critics say risks skewing negotiations. Brazil’s new transparency initiative, though voluntary, is designed to expose conflicts of interest and deter behind-the-scenes lobbying.

But loopholes remain. Industry representatives embedded within national delegations are exempt, leaving a major channel of influence untouched.

The push comes as UN experts warn that states and companies could face future legal liability for climate harm, and civil-society groups demand tougher rules to protect the integrity of COP talks.

Despite Brazil’s own backing of domestic oil projects, observers say the country has thrust the issue of corporate influence squarely into the spotlight - and raised the stakes for climate accountability at COP30.