Guardian Investigation Finds Conflicts of Interest, Saudi Ties Among UN Climate Body's Lead Authors
A Guardian investigation has found that a number of lead authors working on the UN climate panel's next major report have significant conflicts of interest, with more than half linked to Saudi institutions. Two of the authors identified work for oil company Saudi Aramco.
An investigation by the Guardian has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest among experts contributing to the next major assessment report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The investigation focused on the section of the IPCC responsible for assessing how greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced or removed. Of the 223 lead authors working in this part of the body, 20 were found to have a strong conflict of interest.
Saudi links among flagged authors
According to the findings, more than half of these 20 authors have ties to Saudi institutions. Among them are two employees of the oil company Saudi Aramco.
The findings raise concerns about the extent to which individuals connected to the fossil fuel industry may influence the scientific conclusions that underpin international climate policy. IPCC reports are widely regarded as the most authoritative scientific basis for climate-related decisions made by governments and international bodies.
The source material does not detail how the IPCC or the named experts have responded to the investigation's findings, nor does it specify the nature of the conflicts identified among the other authors flagged.
