Energy companies sponsors the million climate talks in Madrid and send more participants than the european UNION. To meet the criticism.

Seven environmental groups accuse the oil and gas companies to try to influence COP25 climate talks in Madrid.

This is supposedly to be given millions in sponsorpenge, while at the same time a large number of lobbyists is set to delay a new climate initiatives.

Environmentalists believe that the representatives of the oil and gas companies play a problematic role in the ongoing climate talks.

- For only a fraction of the annual earnings, the big polluters, wrap yourself up in the COP's fire and use this access to influence the negotiations, says Sriram Madhusoodanan from the association of Corporate Accountability.

Trade associations representing energy companies, according to the UN rules allowed to participate in the negotiations and the meetings as observers.

One of these organizations is the International Emissions Trading Agency (IETA), which among its many members, oil giants such as BP and ENI.

IT keeps a total of 74 events on the sidelines of the COP25.

According to the attendance list has IETA sent the 141 participants for the Madrid - more than the entire european UNION delegation.

- Our members are observing the UN climate negotiations, because they believe that the companies must come up with solutions to the climate crisis.

the Head of the UN klimasekretariat (UNFCCC), Patricia Espinosa, said that "everyone" must be involved in the transition away from fossil fuels.

- We can't possibly make this transition without the energy industry, including oil and gas, she says.

Two of Spain's major energy companies, Endesa and Iberdrola, stepped in and sponsored COP25 conference, as the with the relatively short notice was moved from Chile to Spain.

According to the AFP news agency has each of the two companies paid an amount equivalent to 15 million crowns. In return, they get great visibility and stands at the climate change conference.

Neither the companies or the organizers have wanted to say how much money there is to talk about.

- To finance the global climate negotiations is a classic trick from the polluter strategy, says Jean Su, energidirektør in Center for Biological Diversity.

Environmentalists suggest that Endesa is one of Spain's biggest emitters of the greenhouse gases that are heating the globe up. Last year the release of Endesa over 60 million tonnes of CO2.

Iberdrola produced 24,6 million tons of CO2 in 2018.

/ritzau/AFP