A Guardian investigation conducted with international journalists has identified significant concerns regarding conflicts of interest within the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), particularly in its working group focused on emissions reduction. The examination of 223 lead authors in working group III revealed 20 cases with strong conflict of interest concerns, with more than half linked to Saudi institutions.
Among the findings are two Aramco employees serving as lead authors, including Dr. Diego Armando Moya Pinta, whose affiliation is listed only as Imperial College London despite his current role as an energy and sustainability scientist at the Saudi oil company since 2022. Another key figure is Dr. Mustafa Babiker, who has worked for Aramco for 20 years and was appointed as a coordinating lead author for the forthcoming Seventh Assessment Report. Additionally, five authors from the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, a Saudi government-funded institution chaired by the country’s energy minister, hold positions in the working group, making it as represented as prestigious institutions like Imperial College London.
Experts specializing in research ethics have characterized the IPCC’s conflict of interest policy as potentially inadequate. The organization’s conflict of interest committee reported in March 2026 that it found no conflicts among any selected authors, a conclusion that conflicts with documented ties to major petroleum interests. Rachel Kennerley of the Center for International Environmental Law stated that this disconnect raises questions about whether the policy is being properly applied.
Observers of IPCC governance attribute this development to shifts in Saudi Arabia’s climate strategy. Rather than simply opposing emissions reductions in UN negotiations, the kingdom increasingly promotes technological solutions such as carbon capture that would limit impacts on its fossil fuel economy. The concentration of Saudi-linked authors in working group III, which evaluates policies and technologies for emissions reduction, suggests a strategic positioning to influence how the world’s most authoritative climate reports address potential alternatives to phasing out fossil fuels.
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