The upcoming climate talks (COP28) in Dubai, set to commence on November 30th, are a pivotal moment for global climate action. At this juncture, a coalition led by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and co-chair of The Left Manon Aubry, supported by over 100 lawmakers, has penned an open letter. Among the signatories are US Senator Bernie Sanders, as well as MEPs from the Greens, Social Democrats, and Liberals.

This letter, addressed to the Co-Chairs of the UNFCCC Consultation on Net Zero Recognition and Accountability Framework, as well as to UN Secretary General António Guterres and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, stresses the necessity of safeguarding climate policies from undue corporate influence.

The authors of the open letter criticize that, so far, not enough has been done at the climate summits to effectively combat the climate emergency: “While we applaud the United Nations for bringing tens of thousands of delegates together, leading to a historic agreement that will help developing countries deal with losses and damages from the impacts of climate change, the conference ultimately failed to secure consensus from Parties to cut greenhouse gases in line with the agreed global goals.”

The open letter is a follow-up communication; earlier this year, in May, US and EU representatives had called for ambitious climate protection and greater transparency and democracy at the climate summit. The primary demands articulated in this missive center around establishing robust measures to limit the impact of the fossil fuel industry and its lobbyists on UNFCCC decision-making processes:

Corporate Participation Reform: The coalition urges the adoption of new policies governing corporate involvement at COPs and other UNFCCC proceedings. Key among these policies is the requirement for companies participating in these forums to submit audited statements. These statements must divulge their climate-related lobbying, campaign contributions, and financial support to third parties involved in energy and climate issues. Critically, these statements should be publicly disclosed and reviewed before any engagement in UNFCCC climate policymaking.

Creating an Accountability Framework: There’s a pressing need for a robust accountability framework. This framework is designed to counteract the undue influence of corporate entities whose interests contradict the Paris Agreement’s goals. Notably, this proposal garnered support from over 450 global organizations and five UNFCCC constituencies, representing millions of individuals worldwide.

These reforms aim to inject much-needed transparency into corporate activities related to climate policy. By scrutinizing and disclosing corporate influence, the goal is to prevent greenwashing attempts and rebuild public trust in the integrity of the COP process.

The letter, led by elected representatives from the U.S. and EU, reiterates the call for national and international leaders to support measures combatting the undue influence of the fossil fuel industry in shaping public decision-making processes.