Counting the lobbyists

There are thousands of business lobbyists at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen, but the biggest group once again appears to be from the Angry Mermaid candidate, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA).

IETA has 486 people in Copenhagen, including chief executive Henry Derwent and representatives from IETA member companies such as Gazprom, EON, CDC and another Angry Mermaid candidate Shell.

IETA had the largest non-government delegation at the UN climate talks in 2007 and 2008 - and clearly didn’t want to be crowded out in Copenhagen either.

Some of the other candidates for the Angry Mermaid Award appear among the 136 delegates representing the International Chamber of Commerce - including representatives from South African coal-to-liquid company Sasol and biotech giant Monsanto.

Shell is also represented in the delegations for the European Round Table of Industrialists (former chief exec Jeroen van der Veer is a delegate), the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The Round Table for Responsible Soy (nominated for the Angry Mermaid Award with Monsanto) has its own delegation here in Copenhagen - no doubt working alongside Monsanto to promote GM soy as a “climate-friendly” crop.

Angry Mermaid candidate the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is also present with 36 representatives, including British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh and IATA director Giovanni Bisignani.

The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) - also nominated for an Angry Mermaid - has 28 delegates in Copenhagen, including representatives from German chemical giant BASF, Dow Chemicals and Bayer.

With so many people trying to influence the talks, space inside the conference centre is going to be limited next week - perhaps the UNFCCC will limit the number of business lobbyists allowed in?