COP30: Mad men fuelling madness

The decision by the Brazilian COP30 presidency to award a media contract to Shell-linked PR agency Edelman has outraged climate experts globally, with some questioning the host’s commitment to a meaningful outcome at the Amazonian COP in November. 

The deal, worth $830000, will see the PR agency ‘‘craft a strategic narrative’’ for the climate summit in what civil society organisations see as an attempt by fossil interests to interfere with the climate meeting and influence its outcome.  

The burning of fossil fuels over the past two centuries has contributed to the climate crisis. Science shows that ending the era of oil and gas is the surest way to prevent a full-blown climate collapse.   

Edelman handles global PR for Shell and has previously been criticised for climate disinformation, a position backed by even former insiders.  

Ex-vice president at Edelman, Christine Arena, accused the PR company of blocking climate progress, saying the firm had ‘‘systemically misled the public’’ to safeguard fossil interests. 

‘‘The fossil fuel industry disinformation and greenwash block climate action and present enormous costs to people and communities,’’ Arena says. 

Last year, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres lambasted the oil industry for distorting the truth about dirty fuels, deceiving the public and sowing doubt about the green transition, with the help of ad companies and multi-billion dollar warchests. 

Calling on the ad sector to ‘‘stop acting as enablers of planetary destruction’’, Guterres urged countries to ban advertising from fossil fuel companies.’’  

In recent decades, PR companies have come under fire for their role in delaying the end of the oil and gas regime through greenwashing. Today, sportswashing is one of the clearest forms of greenwashing. 

Now there are growing fears that fossil fuel interests will be at the high table at COP 30.  

Says Dean Bhebhe, a senior advisor on just transitions at Power Shift Africa: “Edelman’s appointment to shape the COP narrative while continuing to promote Shell is the PR equivalent of locking a wolf in the henhouse and calling it ‘stakeholder engagement.’’  

Muhammad Lamin, who heads the Building Power department at CAN International agrees, calling the decision by Brazil shameful. ‘‘Shell is one of the major companies responsible for the climate crisis due to their emissions. They have destroyed ecosystems and livelihoods across the world, particularly in Africa. We demand that the COP30 Presidency cancel the awkward media agreement with the PR firm immediately”. 

For Omar Elmawi, the coordinator of the Africa Movement Building Space, this is just common sense – or lack of it.  

‘‘Edelman is trusted with helping to promote a fossil-free world order while pocketing less than $1 million. In truth, though, they rake in tens of millions from Shell, one of the world’s biggest fossil fuel giants,’’ reasons Elmawi.  

He poses: ‘‘If push comes to shove, will they serve the planet or their most profitable client?” 

Lazola Kati, the Fossil Ad Ban campaign manager, concurs, arguing that it is dangerous for Edelman to work with the COP 30 host when Shell has failed to cut back on oil and gas exploration and operations.  

‘‘Shell is expanding its oil and gas exploration projects in Brazil to the detriment of the environment and people,’’ Ms Kati says, noting that the arrangement is defective from both a greenwashing and corporate influence perspective. 

‘‘This is deeply concerning in terms of real, genuine intent to eradicate fossil fuels and move towards renewables, which are safer for people and the planet.’’  

On the potential conflict of interest, Bhebhe wonders: ‘‘How can that be when the same strategists burnishing an oil giant’s credentials will be deciding how the climate summit is framed to the world? This is not collaboration, it is co‑optation.  

To the campaigners, the fossil fuel industry has perfected the art of putting up appearances of being part of the solution while deepening the problem.  

Notes Dean: ‘‘The COP is meant to be where science, justice, and ambition set the agenda, not where polluters and their publicists craft the storyline for the history books.”