A collaborative journalistic investigation has identified significant connections between lead authors of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas sector, prompting debate over the organization’s conflict of interest policies.
The examination focused on working group III of the IPCC’s incoming Seventh Assessment Report, which evaluates methods for reducing atmospheric emissions and assesses climate policies with direct relevance to fossil fuel interests. Among the 223 lead authors in this group, investigators identified 20 cases raising substantial conflict of interest concerns, with more than half involving individuals linked to Saudi institutions. Notable cases include Dr. Mustafa Babiker, an employee of Saudi Aramco with 20 years of tenure at the company, appointed as a coordinating lead author, and Dr. Diego Armando Moya Pinta, also employed by Aramco, whose affiliation is listed only as Imperial College London. Working group III additionally includes five authors from King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, a government-funded Saudi research institution chaired by the country’s energy minister, giving it representation comparable to major international research organizations.
Examiners of the IPCC’s conflict of interest procedures have characterized the review process as inadequate for identifying such situations. The organization’s conflict of interest committee reported finding no conflicts among authors selected for the assessment report. Experts including ethics researcher Kevin Elliott have questioned whether current protocols effectively identify problematic affiliations, particularly when researchers maintain multiple institutional connections.
According to political science experts studying IPCC governance, Saudi Arabia’s growing presence among report authors reflects a shift in the kingdom’s climate diplomacy strategy. Rather than solely opposing emissions reduction commitments at UN climate negotiations, the nation increasingly promotes technological solutions such as carbon capture technologies that could maintain its fossil fuel economy while addressing climate concerns. The concentration of Saudi-linked authorship in working group III, described as unprecedented in IPCC history, corresponds with this strategic realignment in international climate policy discussions.
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