Press

At least 1773 fossil fuel lobbyists have been granted access to the COP29 summit in Baku, underscoring an outsized polluter presence year after year at crucial climate talks, according to a new analysis from the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition.

New research by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) exposes the EU’s climate hyCOPrisy, using COP29 to greenwash Azerbaijan’s gas as more climate friendly so it can justify doubling imports and still claim to be a climate leader.

Wopke Hoekstra failed to reassure that he would keep oil and gas lobbyists away from climate policy when he answered questions in the European Parliament, seeking its approval to reprise his role as EU Commissioner for climate.

As the EU’s climate commissioner Hoekstra prepares for his hearing in the EU Parliament to reprise his role for the next five years, more than a hundred civil society organisations have written to ask him not to bring fossil fuel lobbyists to COP as part of the EU delegation. 

In March 2024, the European Commission set up a series of public workshops to test Big Tech companies' compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The workshops counted nearly 4000 registrations from businesses, law firms, civil society organisations, academia, public regulators, and industry associations. 

Big Tech is facing increasing attempts to challenge its monopolistic power. But Big Tech itself, as well as the law firms defending these behemoths from antitrust investigations, are recruiting former regulators through the revolving door.

On the eve of the 4th annual Industrial Carbon Management Forum in Pau, France, Corporate Europe Observatory releases an update to its March Carbon Coup report. Titled Carbon Coup Revisited, the update reveals how the forum, dominated by fossil fuel companies and major polluters, continues to wield significant influence over EU’s key energy policies.

One year has passed since the European Ombudsman found the European Commission responsible for "maladministration" for refusing to release the full, unredacted impact assessment (IA) of the proposed revision to the REACH chemicals regulation. 

 The predominance of corporate influence in the drafting of Draghi's Competitiveness report raises significant concerns among civil society organisations about the undue impact of corporate power over the next EU legislature.