The United Arab Emirates’ choice of oil executive Sultan al-Jaber to lead the UN COP28 climate summit this year has been defended by the UK government. It follows a letter to the UN from more than 130 lawmakers from the US and the EU demanding his dismissal. The UN has long come under fire for allowing the fossil fuel industry to participate in the COP climate summits.
On Thursday, Minister for Net Zero Graham Stuart said Sultan al-Jaber was “an outstanding individual”.Every year the host country for the global climate summit, known as COP, nominates a president. As well as organising the event they provide political leadership, heading up critical negotiations on climate action in the run up to, and during, the conference.
This year the hosts, the UAE, nominated Sultan Ahmed al Jaber, the head of the state oil company, as president of the summit, which takes place in Dubai in November. Campaigners have been growing increasingly vocal against this decision, and then on Tuesday 133 lawmakers from the EU and US joined the call for his removal.
Letter to the United Nations
In a joint letter addressed to the United Nations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Joe Biden, the lawmakers voiced their “profound concern” that the talks allowed the fossil fuel industry to exert influence. But Mr Stuart, during a news conference on Thursday, defended the decision of the UAE.
Speaking at an environmental technology conference, he said: “I think he is an outstanding individual and we look forward to working with the UAE to ensure COP28 is a success and gets more countries committing to the necessary emissions reductions.” Stuart also defended Jaber’s track record at ADNOC, the UAE state oil company, saying that he was cleaning up their operations and reducing emissions.
The emissions resulting from the usage of oil products, such as petrol, significantly overshadow the emissions generated during their production. However, it is crucial to note that the country where these oil products are utilized bears the responsibility for the emissions stemming from their use.
The UAE is one of the 10 largest oil producers in the world. Their state oil company pumped 2.7 million barrels of oil per day in 2021, according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec). The company aims to expand to nearly double output to five million barrels per day by 2027 – a target date brought forward from 2030 two months ago by Jaber.
Zeina Khalil Hajj, head of global campaigning for 350.org, one of the groups calling for his removal, said: “It is the equivalent of appointing the CEO of a cigarette company to oversee a conference on cancer cures.”
In ten days, countries will convene for the Bonn climate conference, marking the halfway point to COP28. This conference serves as an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in reaching climate targets.
