🔗 Share this article Analysis Reveals UK Ministers Met Fossil Fuel Lobbyists On 500 Occasions During First Year of Government Per recent analysis, government ministers held discussions with delegates from the petroleum industry over 500 times during their initial year in government – representing two times each working day. Notable Rise Compared to Former Government The study found that fossil fuel lobbyists were present at 48% additional ministerial meetings during the present administration's initial year versus the previous year. Ministerial Justification Ministers supported the meetings, claiming that officials conducted discussions with a broad spectrum of agents from "energy sector, worker groups and civil society to propel our clean energy leading initiative". Growing Concerns About Sector Pressure Yet, the discoveries have raised concern among critics about the degree of the fossil fuel industry's sway over government at a period when ministers are working to reduce costs and transition to a greener energy system. Major Discoveries The research, which utilizes the government's released data of ministerial meetings, also found: Officials at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero held meetings with oil industry representatives 274 times, with corporate delegates present at approximately one-fourth of sessions. The climate official engaged with oil industry representatives 250 times – with 33% of all his meetings including industry figures. In the same period department ministers engaged with trade union representatives 61 times. Several major fossil fuel companies engaged with ministers 100 times combined. Fossil fuel lobbyists were present at the majority of government meeting about the excess profits charge, a short-term tax on the "extraordinary profits" of offshore energy corporations. Political Reactions A Green party MP remarked: "In place of listening to scientists, communities suffering from environmental disasters, or families anxious to secure a safe future for their descendants, this leadership is emphasizing lobbyists and revenues for large energy corporations." Official Denial Ministers maintained the discoveries were "misleading", stating several of the corporations listed also had clean energy investments and that these were typically the primary subject of the discussions. "Our main focus is a fair, systematic and successful change in the offshore region in line with our ecological and statutory requirements, and we are working with the sector to protect present and coming generations of quality employment." Broader Context Multiple major fossil fuel corporations have been censured for cutting their sustainable investments in the past few years amid a international resistance against climate action. An activist coordinator from an ecological advocacy project remarked: "Officials vowed a government of service, but that doesn't mean yielding to corporations earning revenue out of ecological disaster. It's essential to discontinue preferential treatment of polluters and prioritize citizens."