Fossil Fuel Industry Sends Largest Delegation to COP26

I read that there are more delegates at COP26 associated with the fossil fuel industry than from any single country! 

This is alarming because as far as I’m concerned, they are up to no good, that I’m pretty sure. Methinks, they should be barred from COP26. 

"The fossil fuel industry has spent decades denying and delaying real action on the climate crisis, which is why this is such a huge problem", says Murray Worthy from Global Witness. "Their influence is one of the biggest reasons why 25 years of UN climate talks have not led to real cuts in global emissions". 

Campaigners led by Global Witness had assessed the participant list published by the UN at the start of this meeting. They found that 503 people with links to fossil fuel interests had been accredited for the climate summit. 

They also found that: 

• Fossil fuel lobbyists are members of two country delegations, Canada and Russia 
• The fossil fuel lobby at COP is larger than the combined total of the eight delegations from the countries worst affected by climate change in the past 20 years 
• More than 100 fossil fuel companies are represented at COP, with 30 trade associations and membership organisations also present 

Worthy added: "What we seeing is the putting forward of false solutions that appear to be climate action but actually preserve the status quo, and prevent us from taking the clear, simple actions to keep fossil fuels in the ground that we know are the real solutions to climate crisis". 

In fact, campaign groups argue that the World Health Organization didn't get serious about banning tobacco until all the lobbyists for the industry were banned from WHO meetings. They want the same treatment for oil and gas companies at COP. 

And I totally agree and support! 

West Ham humbled Liverpool with a fine 3-2 win – their first league victory over the Reds since January 2016 – and the victory meant that they leapfrogged their opponents into third place in the Premier League. 

It showed Liverpool’s defensive frailty and they really struggled to cope with the Hammers' excellent counter-attacking. But the villain of yesterday’s game was Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson Becker who made three costly errors.

The Brazilian international’s messy clearance from an incoming ball resulted in an own goal from him in the fourth minute – and it put West Ham ahead. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold equalized with a brilliant free-kick in the forty-first minute – but West Ham regained the lead in the sixty-seventh minute when Liverpool’s goalkeeper could not keep out a low shot and the ball went in. 

And the Hammers again scored on 74 minutes with a far-post header. Alisson scampered across in an attempt to block the ball but got nowhere near it. 

Sub Divock Origi swept in a second in the eighty-third minute to give Liverpool hope of rescuing something – but West Ham kept their nerve to take the three points. 

A poor Liverpool performance! 

North of the border, Celtic did well enough to win 4-2 against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership. 

Jota opened the scoring in the eighth minute and Kyogo Furuhashi doubled Celtic's lead eleven minutes later before Dundee replied. 

But the Benfica loanee scored again in the forty-seventh minute and then, quickly set up the Japan forward for Celtic's fourth three minutes later. 

Dundee had a second goal – and as manager Ange Postecoglou said the goals conceded were a "reminder to everyone not to get too carried away". 

Celtic’s next game is against holders St Johnstone on November 20 in the semi-final of the League Cup.