The organizers of Cop28 have allowed entry to over 475 lobbyists advocating for carbon capture and storage (CCS), technologies deemed by climate scientists as insufficient to tackle global warming.
This count, tabulated by the Centre for Environmental Law (Ciel) and exclusively shared with The Guardian, marks the initial effort to monitor the expanding influence of the CCS sector of the fossil fuel industry within the UN climate discussions.
CCS, or CCUS (which incorporates "utilization"), is vigorously promoted at the summit by fossil fuel conglomerates and other high-pollution sectors, alongside major greenhouse gas-emitting nations. Proponents of CCS claim these technologies can help trap carbon dioxide emissions, bury them underground or in the seabed, or even utilize CO2 in fuel or fertilizer production.
Despite this push, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and other experts concur that phasing out oil, gas, and coal remains the sole viable route to curbing global warming to around 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. They assert that CCUS and other untested niche technologies serve as delaying tactics and distractions at best, offering very limited contributions.
Lili Fuhr, director of Ciel’s fossil economy program, remarked, "The fervor with which the fossil fuel industry and their associates advocate for 'capturing' or 'managing' their carbon emissions signifies their desperation. CCS stands as the industry’s lifeline and, concurrently, their latest excuse and delay tactic."
The magnitude of oil and gas influence at Cop28 is unprecedented. The conference, overseen by the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company president, accommodates 2,456 industry-affiliated lobbyists—nearly quadruple the count at Cop27 in Sharm el-Sheikh.
The contingent promoting carbon capture surpasses several critical representations, outnumbering official Indigenous representatives by 50% and eclipsing the count of numerous climate-affected countries, including Somalia (366), Niger (135), Guinea-Bissau (43), Tonga (79), Eritrea (7), Liberia (197), and Solomon Islands (56).
The pivotal issue under negotiation at Cop28 concerns the global stocktake, evaluating progress thus far. Major fossil fuel producers—such as the US, Canada, Norway, the EU, and Saudi Arabia—are accused of obstructing an unequivocal agreement on phase-out by advocating for the stocktake to reference "abated" fossil fuels.
The term "unabated" refers to the direct release of CO2 or other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels. However, consensus on the definition of "abated" remains elusive, generally indicating burning fossil fuels while capturing and permanently storing an unspecified proportion of emitted greenhouse gases.
Throughout Cop28, CCUS has been fervently promoted in high-level meetings and numerous side events. The "carbon management challenge," initiated by several nations including the UAE, Australia, Canada, Egypt, the EU, US, Japan, and Denmark, announced governmental support for CCUS and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies.
However, even capturing 1.2 gigatonnes of CO2—the preliminary target proposed by the challenge, albeit unconfirmed—only represents 3% of global emissions recorded in 2022.
The Guardian reached out to the Global CCS Institute and the CCS Association for comment.
CCUS projects have historically fallen short of promises. Chevron's Gorgon gas facility in Western Australia, hosting the world's largest industrial CCUS project, missed its carbon capture targets by about 50% during its initial five years. Earlier this year, reports revealed a 50% increase in emissions at the gas facility.
Critics argue that CCUS and other abatement technologies neglect to address the 5 million annual deaths linked to air pollution caused by extracting and burning fossil fuels.
Internal industry documents released during the US House oversight committee's investigation into climate disinformation in 2021 indicate oil executives' awareness of CCUS's limitations and its potential as a savior for fossil fuels.
Earlier this year, Vicki Hollub, chief executive of the US oil company Occidental and a Cop28 delegate, mentioned at an industry conference that direct air capture "gives our industry a license to continue to operate." Occidental intends to store captured CO2 underground and employ it as a carbon credit system for other companies to purchase. It champions "net zero oil," injecting removed CO2 into rock formations to extract more gas and oil.
Rachel Cleetus, climate and energy policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, emphasized, "Fossil fuel interests are choosing to dilute the final Cop28 agreement, despite the scientific clarity necessitating a phase-out."
Identified from the UN's provisional participant list of about 84,000 attendees at Cop28, the 475 CCS lobbyists encompass representatives of companies engaged in carbon capture and utilization or storage projects listed in the International Energy Agency database. Additionally, they include other entities publicly advocating for these technologies.
Blessed Chidhoni, from the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice, expressed concern: "Fossil fuel lobbyists, along with their peers, champion dangerous distractions like carbon capture and storage, hindering a swift and equitable fossil fuel phase-out—silencing communities most impacted by the climate crisis."
A spokesperson for the Carbon Capture and Storage Association defended, stating, "Carbon capture technology will be a significant part of the collective effort toward reaching net zero, alongside energy reduction and expanding renewable electricity."