Some of the world’s biggest polluters are paying social media celebrities and environmentalists to promote their brands to billions of people.

The Northern Research Group has been accused of a ‘clear conflict of interest’ in accepting sponsorship from firms that are major beneficiaries of government spending.

The prime minister praised Policy Exchange, which received $30,000 from oil and gas giant ExxonMobil in 2017, for shaping laws that target green activists.

Former Conservative ministers and high-ranking MPs among those who have backed Net Zero Scrutiny Group’s new attack on green policy

The ex-cabinet minister’s comments have been described as a ‘damning indictment’ of the Conservative government.

Rishi Sunak’s party has attacked green traffic measures via adverts to millions of UK voters, despite central government commitments to cut road pollution.

The newspaper’s chief interviewer and columnist joins an increasingly influential body of trustees at the Global Warming Policy Foundation.

Financial, ideological and senior staff ties are still channelling the interests of opaquely funded think tanks into the heart of government.

Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt is among those to have received funds from a firm owned by a former chair of the Global Warming Policy Foundation.

Campaigners say there’s “no excuse” for allowing Veolia North America and the Western States Petroleum Association to sponsor events at the Society of Environmental Journalists gathering.