After more than a year of research, The Good Lobby, in partnership with The Guardian, has published the first dataset mapping public affairs and law firms that represent fossil fuel clients in EU policy processes.
Based primarily on analysis of the EU Transparency Register, the findings reveal that several leading lobbying consultancies — including FTI Consulting, Burson, and Rud Pedersen — maintain commercial relationships with major oil and gas companies. While these clients often account for a small share of revenues, the services provided may contribute to shaping climate policies in ways that prioritise corporate interests over environmental commitments.
The research project, titled Decarbonise Professional Influence, aims to increase transparency around the role that consultancies and law firms play in lobbying on behalf of fossil fuel companies. According to the researchers, these actors frequently position themselves as sustainability leaders while simultaneously offering strategic support to clients whose activities are misaligned with the EU’s climate goals.
“Our data shows how firms use their advocacy expertise and networks to serve fossil fuel interests,” said Professor Alberto Alemanno, founder of The Good Lobby. “Yet their influence often goes unexamined, and many operate in a regulatory grey zone.”
Key findings include:
According to The Good Lobby, increasing awareness about these relationships may prompt some firms to reconsider their client portfolios. The dataset could also support clients, employees, and stakeholders in holding firms accountable for the alignment between their sustainability messaging and lobbying practices.
Industry experts noted that public affairs firms are not the only route for fossil fuel influence in Brussels. Many companies also operate in-house lobbying teams and belong to industry associations with access to EU decision-makers. Still, public scrutiny of professional service providers remains comparatively limited.
While some firms dispute their categorisation, citing work on renewable energy or decarbonisation strategies, critics argue that such activities are often used to deflect attention from broader lobbying practices. The Clean Creatives movement, which advocates for agencies to drop fossil clients, has gained traction in the advertising sector — and The Good Lobby’s initiative seeks to extend that momentum to public affairs and legal services.
Dieter Zinnbauer, a senior advisor to The Good Lobby, emphasised that the project is not about demonising firms but about encouraging alignment between values and practice: “When core business activities involve supporting clients who oppose or slow down the energy transition, it raises important ethical and professional questions.”
The full dataset is available via The Good Lobby. The Guardian’s full article can be read here.
