Campaign Seeks to Bar Fossil Lobbyists From COP31
Oil and gas firms with EU exposure should watch whether overflow badge access to UN climate talks is restricted.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Oil and Gas
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Fossil Free Politics has urged the European Commission and the governments of Italy, France, and Belgium to refuse COP31 accreditation, including overflow badges, to fossil fuel lobbyists. The group says EU delegations to the three prior UN climate talks included 332 fossil fuel representatives, a trend relevant to oil and gas firms that seek access to climate negotiations.
Why it matters
The campaign targets the access that fossil fuel companies gain through "party overflow" badges and private negotiating spaces, a channel that shapes how the industry engages with policy. Its timing also reflects scrutiny of how energy firms such as Eni, ENGIE, and Fluxys lobby on EU rules, including the Methane Regulation.
Italy brought 55 fossil fuel representatives, France 48, and Belgium 47 across COP28 through COP30. Eni was the most frequently accredited company with 16 representatives, while EDF and ENGIE each had 14.
The players
Fossil Free Politics
An advocacy group that tracks fossil fuel industry access to government and UN climate processes.
Eni
An Italian integrated energy company with upstream oil and gas operations, and the most frequently accredited company at the three COPs with 16 representatives.
ENGIE
A French utility and energy services group that had 14 representatives accredited at the three COPs and has lobbied against implementation of the EU Methane Regulation.
Fluxys
A Belgian natural gas transmission and infrastructure company that had 13 representatives accredited at the three COPs and has lobbied against the EU Methane Regulation.
The details
Fossil fuel representatives gained access to key decision-makers and private negotiating spaces through "party overflow" badges, which the campaign wants withheld at COP31. Fossil Free Politics wrote to the European Commission and to Italy, France, and Belgium urging them to refuse these accreditations. The group argues that Italy's COP29 industry delegation was there to sign new gas deals, while the European Commission brought five fossil fuel lobbyists to COP28 and none since.
Timeline
COP28, COP29 and COP30 took place between 2023 and 2025, with EU fossil fuel representatives attending each.
Fossil Free Politics published its call to exclude lobbyists from COP31 on 1 November 2026.
The six largest oil and gas companies reported combined profits of $79.4 billion in the second quarter of 2026.
Market Landscape
The dispute sits within a pattern of fossil fuel firms engaging directly in UN climate negotiations, as the EU Methane Regulation sets emissions obligations for the sector. Companies such as Eni, ENGIE and Fluxys have lobbied against that regulation while holding significant accreditation numbers at the talks.
Oil and gas operators should expect heightened public and regulatory scrutiny of their presence at international climate negotiations and of their lobbying on EU methane rules. Government relations and policy teams should track the COP31 accreditation decisions and any changes to overflow badge access.
The takeaway
Operators with EU exposure should monitor whether COP31 accreditation rules tighten, since that would change how industry engages with climate negotiators. Teams should also track publication of the COP31 delegation data as a signal of reputational pressure on energy firms.
What happens next
COP31 delegation data will be published and Fossil Free Politics has said it will analyse the EU, Italian, French and Belgian delegations once it becomes available.
Further reading
For more context on the sector's business dynamics, see the Oil and Gas section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Corporate Europe Observatory.
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