More than 100 corporations and industry groups with ties to fossil fuel interests have dispatched delegations to the UN climate talks in Antalya, according to a new analysis. These delegations significantly outnumber the national representations of some countries facing the most severe climate impacts, including Nepal, which experienced a catastrophic glacier collapse during the summer.
According to The Guardian, the analysis was conducted by the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition, which comprises approximately 450 environmental organisations. The review identified 103 groups with documented histories of obstructing climate action or advancing fossil fuel interests at the summit, which runs from 9 to 20 November 2026 at the Antalya Expo Center.
The Cop31 climate summit in Antalya is considered the largest gathering in the three decades of annual UN climate negotiations, with more than 92,000 delegates registered to participate in discussions aimed at steering the world away from fossil fuels that are dangerously warming the planet. The conference addresses limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, adaptation and resilience, and transitioning away from fossil fuels.
What types of organisations are represented?
The 103 groups identified by the coalition comprise 60 fossil fuel industry bodies, 16 financial companies that fund fossil fuels, six industrial agriculture and food products groups, three major technology companies and 20 cross-sector organisations. Among the largest delegations are the International Emissions Trading Association with 29 representatives, which has faced accusations of lending legitimacy to fossil fuel companies, alongside major financial institutions BNP Paribas and HSBC, and technology company Amazon.
The oil giant Exxon maintains a delegation of 13 people in Antalya, Total Energies has five representatives, and BlackRock, a major financier of fossil fuel projects, also has five delegates present. These corporate delegations substantially exceed the national delegations of countries most vulnerable to climate impacts. Nepal, which experienced a devastating and deadly glacier collapse during the summer that has been linked to climate change, sent only a sixth of the number of delegates that these groups have assembled.
How do these numbers compare to vulnerable nations?
The disparity between fossil fuel industry representation and vulnerable country delegations highlights a structural imbalance at the climate talks. Prakash Dalal from Pro Public and Friends of the Earth Nepal expressed concern about this inequality, stating:
Big polluters have caused loss of livelihood, emotional damage, trauma and survival challenges for our people. We cannot tolerate the disproportionate space given to them compared to civil society and our country delegations.
Sheldon Whitehouse, a US senator and prominent climate advocate attending Cop31, called for greater transparency and accountability from those seeking to participate in the negotiations.
The ticket to entry to this badge should be a disclosure form in which you lay out exactly who you funded in the climate space with how much, when. I think it's important to know who the infiltrators are, who the moles are in the climate conversation and who are the legitimate participants. If people want to come they've got to come clean about their bad behaviour and they can't hide it out in the real world and then come here and act like they're responsible.
What is the scale of financial support for fossil fuels?
Large banks with delegations at Cop31 continue to provide substantial financial backing for coal, oil and gas projects. Thirty banks represented at the summit have collectively provided more than $2.2 trillion in fossil fuel financing over the past five years. Among the largest financial institutions present are JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Bank of America and Barclays, all of which channel many billions of dollars annually into fossil fuel ventures.
Kathy Mulvey, a campaigner at the Union of Concerned Scientists, characterised the situation as emblematic of a broader pattern:
Unfortunately, Big Oil, other polluters, their front groups and enablers running amok at the international climate negotiations has been the rule rather than the exception. The outsize presence of these corrupt influencers is all the more egregious in a year of record-breaking heat and devastating floods.
How transparent are delegate affiliations?
The official designations and affiliations of those attending Cop31 remain somewhat unclear. According to Transparency International, nearly one in five participants at the Antalya talks chose not to disclose their relationship to the delegation they were attending with. BlackRock, for instance, is registered as part of France's delegation this year, while Darren Woods, the chief executive of Exxon, is listed with the US Chambers of Commerce.
The presence of fossil fuel interests at UN climate negotiations has long been a contentious issue. Environmental advocates have consistently called for improved transparency measures and mandatory conflict of interest disclosures for all attendees and those seeking to influence the climate talks.
Who has travelled to Antalya by private jet?
While many participants at Cop31 have undertaken complicated journeys to the Antalya venue, utilising budget flights from developing countries and relying on public transport, others have arrived through more luxurious means. According to Oxfam, 94 private jet flights have arrived in Antalya since Saturday, representing 23 times the average frequency for the city. Many of these aircraft have transported some of the world's wealthiest individuals, with 18 registered attendees classified as billionaires by Forbes.
This group, possessing combined wealth of nearly $200 billion, includes business leaders who publicly advocate for climate action such as Michael Bloomberg and Andrew Forrest. However, it also encompasses the Turkish mining magnate Ahmet Çalık and the Indian fossil fuel executive Pranav Adani, whose presence underscores the contradictions embedded within the summit's participant base.
What happens next at Cop31?
The 13 November session is designated as "Finance and Trade" day, with green finance, carbon markets and climate-based investment among its central themes. The conference is scheduled to continue through 20 November 2026, with final negotiations listed for that day. The outcome of these negotiations will be shaped significantly by the balance of influence between fossil fuel interests and climate advocates present at the talks.
