‘Realistic’: UAE appoints oil chief to be COP28 president
London: The United Arab Emirates has come under criticism for appointing an oil boss to the presidency of the UN climate change summit.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and the country’s minister for industry, will preside over the COP28 talks, which take place in Dubai in November.
Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber in 2022.Credit:AP
As president, Jaber will effectively shepherd the talks and will be expected to conduct diplomatic discussions to help shape the direction and outcome of the summit.
His appointment was criticised by green groups over concerns that the UAE’s position as one of the world’s biggest oil producers could derail the direction of the talks.
The UAE, which has the fourth-largest carbon footprint per capita, has plans to increase oil and gas production by 2030.
Jaber, who is also the country’s special envoy for climate change, has called for a rise in annual fossil fuel investments of $US600 billion by 2030 and said the world should “progress with pragmatism” on the path to going green.
Tasneem Essop, the executive director of Climate Action Network International, said Jaber “cannot preside over a process that is tasked to address the climate crisis with such a conflict of interest, heading an industry that is responsible for the crisis itself”.
She added: “If he does not step down as [chief executive], it will be tantamount to a full-scale capture of the UN climate talks by a petrostate national oil company and its associated fossil fuel lobbyists.”
Although the UN process is intended to be consensus-led, host countries are responsible for setting the official agenda of the climate talks and for drafting the final communiqués.
Egypt, last year’s hosts, were accused of producing a text “that clearly protects oil and gas petrostates and the fossil fuel industries”, by Laurence Tubiana, one of the key architects of the Paris Agreement. Egypt said it had played a neutral role.
The UAE has committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with the UK and other nations, but has a plan for its energy sector that will include 38 per cent gas and 12 per cent so-called “clean coal”.
It argues that the world will continue to rely on oil for global development and says carbon capture can help reduce emissions. The country does have ambitious plans for 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity by 2030 and a fully operational nuclear power station by 2024.
Jaber’s appointment is the first time a serving oil boss has taken over the presidency of the summit.
Christiana Figueres, the UN climate chief from 2010 to 2016, said: “The International Energy Agency has been abundantly clear that there is no more atmospheric space for any new oil, gas or coal.
“This policy clarity echoes the findings of science and the increasing demands of public opinion.
“COP28 must not only align itself with this reality, but in fact accelerate global decarbonisation. There is no other path forward.”
In a statement, Jaber said the UAE would bring “a pragmatic, realistic and solutions-oriented approach” to COP28.
“We will take an inclusive approach that engages all stakeholders,” he said.
Telegraph, London
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.
Most Viewed in World
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article