Sultan Al Jaber, president of COP28, has reportedly said that "no science" suggests that fossil fuels must be phased out to limit global warming to 1.5C. Al Jaber allegedly stated that sustainable growth cannot be achieved by eliminating fossil fuels "unless you want to take the world back into caves," Al Jaber allegedly stated.
Some have raised concerns about the apparent conflict of interest between Al Jaber's roles as CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the state oil corporation of the United Arab Emirates, and his role as organizer of COP28 in Dubai.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a worldwide climate summit where leaders from across the globe get together to discuss and brainstorm ways to combat climate change. This year's event was the 28th summit, hence the name COP28.
Heated Debate Over Fossil Fuel Phaseout
According to The Guardian, the contentious remarks were delivered by Al Jaber in a heated reaction to questions posed by Mary Robinson, a former UN special envoy for climate change and head of the Elders group, during a live online session that took place on November 21.
During a She Changes Climate event, Robinson and Al Jaber had a talk. Robinson expressed: "We're in an absolute crisis that is hurting women and children more than anyone ... and it's because we have not yet committed to phasing out fossil fuel. That is the one decision that COP28 can take and in many ways, because you're head of Adnoc, you could actually take it with more credibility."
The COP28 chief answered in a dismissive manner, stating that he wanted to have a "sober and mature conversation" and declining to engage in "any discussion that is alarmist," as heard on audio produced and released by The Guardian. "There is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says that the phaseout of fossil fuel is what's going to achieve 1.5°C," Al Jaber pointed out.
Alarming Remarks From COP28 Chief Himself
That view contradicts the strong stance taken by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who said on Friday, December 1, that the 1.5°C target can only be achieved by trying to put an end to the combustion of all fossil fuels. He said, "The science is clear," as reported by Common Dreams.
Scientist Joelle Gergis, who headed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Working Group I in the Sixth Assessment Report, criticized Al Jaber's comments as "disgraceful."
Despite Al Jaber's claims that his remarks have been misrepresented, his position as CEO of a major fossil fuel company makes him an obvious candidate unfit to preside over a climate meeting.
A study published over the weekend by Global Witness indicated that ADNOC is on course to become the second-largest oil producer in the world by 2050. Also, Al Jaber is accused of exploiting his position as COP28 president to promote oil and gas agreements.
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