In Europe, a select few “small but dirty” law and public affairs firms are enabling pollution by aggressively advocating on behalf of big oil, according to an analysis. Most of these firms act as lobbyists for at least one fossil fuel company. The leading EU lobbyists are often on the payroll of oil and gas companies, but these clients represent a mere 1% of such companies’ revenue. The research demonstrates that public affairs companies can terminate ties with big polluters without adverse effects on their bottom line, yet there is still not enough public or regulatory pressure on lobbyists to pursue more environmentally conscious practices.
Alberto Alemanno, the founder of The Good Lobby and a co-author of the research, stated that the public affairs companies lobbying for the fossil fuel industry have largely gone unnoticed. “They can afford to keep [these clients] — even though they bring in very little — because they have basically not been subject to any form of accountability,” he said.
This study, which examined lobbying firms working for oil and gas companies, used information from the EU transparency register to compile a database of the firms, their clients, and the costs associated with this lobbying. The list does not include fossil fuel industry groups or secondary polluters like airlines or car manufacturers.
The Guardian discovered that several of these companies have strengthened their ties with big oil in the last year. Simultaneously, many of these companies have made public commitments to sustainability which appear at odds with their clients’ actions, such as energy companies weakening or not advancing their climate targets or reducing emissions.
A case in point is Burson, Cohn & Wolfe, a public affairs company, which was reported to have received €600,000-699,999 from ExxonMobil in 2024 for lobbying services on several environmental issues. Despite this, they claim on their website to be helping energy clients navigate “the transition towards sustainable progress.”
Duncan Meisel, the executive director of
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/25/public-affairs-firms-in-europe-enable-pollution-by-lobbying-for-big-oil-says-analysis
