COP Co-opted? How corruption and undue influence threaten multilateral climate action

The world faces an unprecedented threat from climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions from more than a century of fossil fuel reliance. Despite the scale of this crisis, the Conference of the Parties (COP) climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, is at high risk of being co-opted to promote a pro-fossil fuel industry agenda.

The COP process in its current form lacks the guardrails to effectively: (a) reduce undue corporate influence (particularly from fossil fuel companies); (b) prevent corrupt and kleptocratic actors from using the Conference to strike business deals and pursue personal enrichment; and (c) mitigate the risk of governmental and corporate greenwashing.

This lack of robust anti-corruption measures is a serious oversight irrespective of which country is hosting COP. However, Azerbaijan’s organisation of COP29 illustrates the magnitude of the problem. This report by Transparency International and the Anti-Corruption Data Collective highlights how the Azerbaijani regime, oil and gas companies, and lobbyists have been working hand-in-hand in the run-up to COP29 to exert undue corporate influence. It also argues there is a high likelihood that the Azerbaijani government will use the summit as diplomatic cover to advance its domestic oil and gas interests and secure new fossil fuel deals.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has lacked adequate anti-corruption measures for too long. This not only jeopardises the integrity of global climate diplomacy: it also undermines progress towards the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. This report lists a series of recommendations to safeguard future COPs from corruption and undue influence, including mechanisms for improving:

1. Integrity over the choice of the host country;

2. Transparency around COP preparations and hosting arrangements;

3. Accountability of the COP Presidency;

4. Transparency and accountability around COP participation (vis-à-vis e.g. lobbyists);

5. Responsible private sector engagement at COP.