https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/tory-government-met-oil-and-gas-lobbyists-daily-last-year

THE Tory government met representatives from the oil and gas sector an average of 1.4 times per working day in 2023, an investigation by Global Witness revealed today.

At least 65 fossil fuel organisations and industry bodies were identified as meeting with ministers over the year, according to the group.

Global Witness analysed data by Transparency International UK, looking at any organisation that “could be reasonably assumed to have the goal of influencing policy or legislation in the interests of a fossil fuel company and its shareholders.”

According to its findings, ministers met representatives from the oil and gas sector at least 343 times last year, up from 330 meetings held in 2022.

More widely, the group found that meetings between oil and gas lobbyists and the government have been steadily increasing over the past 11 years.

November 2023 saw record-high levels of meetings when the government met oil and gas lobbyists at least 63 times, equivalent to almost three meetings every working day, the campaigners said.

The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill, which would mandate annual licensing of new oil and gas fields in the North Sea, was introduced the same month, they noted.

The end of November also marked the start of the UN climate change conference Cop28 in Dubai.

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