COP28, the climate change conference taking place in Dubai this year, is asking brands for millions of pounds to sponsor the event, promising that they will “benefit from access and unrivalled networking opportunities with governments and global business leaders”.

The most expensive sponsorship package on offer costs £6.5m and provides the paying company with a “speaking opportunity in the COP28 UAE presidency events” and “partner recognition on the trophy wall” among other benefits, according to documents seen by Sky News.

In total, the climate conference is asking for in excess of £25m from companies to take advantage of its sponsorship packages, the documents show.

A senior corporate executive told Sky News: “A COP isn’t an event to make money. We are here to save the planet and minimise climate change, not to milk sponsorship opportunities.

“It belittles the entire event and people lose trust in the entire process.”

Sponsorship prices have almost tripled since COP27 in Cairo last year, according to the executive, who has direct knowledge of the rates, reflecting the increasing commercialisation of the United Nations summit.

Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, this year’s event is already embroiled in controversy after reportedly hiring a former Boris Johnson aide who opposed an oil and gas tax, selecting senior oil industry executive Sultan al Jaber as its president, and inviting Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad, who is accused of crimes against humanity.

Every year, almost 200 countries meet to discuss how to jointly tackle the climate crisis and its impacts. Thousands of observers, civil society groups and media attend too.

COP stands for Conference of the Parties, referring to governments that have signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Sponsors at last year’s event included Microsoft and Coca-Cola, the company named the world’s largest plastics polluter in the 2022 Break Free From Plastic’s global brand audit.

Sky sponsored COP26 in Glasgow in 2021.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Executives given chance to mingle with government officials

A petition calling on the organisers of the climate summit to stop seeking corporate sponsorship received nearly a quarter of a million signatures.

Brands which spent more than £3m on sponsorship at this year’s event will also receive accreditation for their executives to attend the talks and mingle with government officials.

The so-called Industry Partner package, which offers companies “an unparalleled opportunity to become a vital part of this important event for leading names in respective industries” and costs £3.2m, comes with five passes to the event.

Meanwhile, the Principal Partner package, which costs more than £6m, offers 25 UN-accredited passes for company executives to attend the talks.

Subscribe to ClimateCast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Spreaker

The organisers of COP28 promise that the event’s principal sponsor will receive “privileged access” to the Blue Zone, the area reserved for world leaders, country negotiators, and NGOs (non-governmental organisations).

Also on offer is the chance to host a reception and an event, a perk not available to any of the lower tier sponsors.

Brands which partner with the event will also have the opportunity to display “presentations and activities featuring accomplishments across all areas of business” while “participants will be inspired to act on environmental issues that are increasingly impacting us today”.

They will also “receive an array of benefits that showcase their market presence,” according to the documents.

When contacted by Sky News, the UN said sponsorship for COP28 was handled by the host country and directed press questions to the UAE.

Sky News has approached the UAE for comment.

Watch The Climate Show with Tom Heap on Saturday and Sunday at 3pm and 7.30pm on Sky News, on the Sky News website and app, and on YouTube and Twitter.

The show investigates how global warming is changing our landscape and highlights solutions to the crisis.

Related posts:

Anti-fraud probe as EU nations are offered 900 million ‘ghost’ COVID jabs for €12.7bn Thousands flock to edge of spectacular volcanic eruption in Iceland Airport workers find 185 baby Galapagos tortoises hidden in suitcase Russian gay family in controversial supermarket advert flees to Spain after threats Taliban fire into air at anti-Pakistan protest as UN warns basic services on verge of collapse Paris attacks survivors hope for justice as France’s biggest criminal trial in history begins Reporter who interviewed Peng Shuai says she may not have been able to speak freely Where is Kaliningrad – Russia’s exclave in Europe – and how will Lithuanian sanctions affect Western relations? Russia ‘violates Estonia’s airspace for first time by helicopter’ in highly provocative move ‘Mass death’ of children if no global aid as Ukraine war exacerbates worst drought in 40 years Strikes on port of Odesa ‘spit in the face’ from Russia after grain deal Leonardo da Vinci was the son of a slave and half-Italian, expert claims