Story perspectives

Fossil Fuel Lobbying Surges Amid Climate Pledge Backlash

11/11/2025

Center

Swinney Faces Backlash

Fossil fuel lobbying of Scottish ministers has surged since COP26, with over 310 meetings from late November 2021 to June 2025, nearly doubling the four-year prior level.
Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary, has met fossil fuel interests extensively, while meetings with climate groups remain limited.
First Minister John Swinney faces backlash for perceived climate pledges backtracking, especially on new North Sea drilling projects, amid criticism from Oxfam.

Left

U.S. Skips COP30

The United States does not send a delegation to COP30 in Belém, following U.S. President Donald Trump's stance.
World leaders convene at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, amid rising concerns about climate inaction.
Activists say repeated promises have not delivered substantive progress, impacting vulnerable communities facing disasters.
Kenya implements climate-smart farming to combat the crisis, while many feel decades of negotiations have failed to deliver real change.

History

Historical Context

The COP21 Paris Agreement, adopted on December 12, 2015, united 196 countries in a commitment to limit global warming to well below 2°C. However, subsequent fossil fuel lobbying surged, with over 310 meetings in Scotland from late 2021 to mid-2025, reflecting a trend of governmental backtracking on climate commitments, as evidenced by the U.S. absence at COP30 in Brazil.

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Swinney Faces Backlash

Fossil fuel lobbying of Scottish ministers has surged since COP26, with over 310 meetings from late November 2021 to June 2025, nearly doubling the four-year prior level.
Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary, has met fossil fuel interests extensively, while meetings with climate groups remain limited.
First Minister John Swinney faces backlash for perceived climate pledges backtracking, especially on new North Sea drilling projects, amid criticism from Oxfam.

1 / 3