Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Global Witness report that 636 fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to COP27, whether the Government is taking to steps to help tackle the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists on international climate change policy.

Every participating country is responsible for selecting its own delegates to the Conference of the Parties (COP) and the UNFCCC is responsible for all accreditations.

At COP26 in Glasgow, the UK ensured that any business participating on UK Presidency platforms was signed up to the UN-backed Science Based Targets (SBTs)or the Race To Zero initiative. The UK Government has applied these same climate criteria to businesses participating at the UK Pavilion at COP27 in Egypt.

The Government regularly speaks with UK energy companies about security of supply as part of the transition to a net-zero economy.