Title: “COP28: Sultan al-Jaber Faces Criticism and Controversy as UN Climate Summit Approaches”
Introduction:
With less than two months until COP28, the upcoming UN climate summit in Dubai is generating intense debate and controversy. One key point of contention is the appointment of Sultan al-Jaber as the event’s president. As the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, al-Jaber’s role in the fossil fuel industry has drawn criticism from many quarters. In this article, we’ll explore al-Jaber’s ambitions for COP28, the concerns raised by his critics, and the prospects for meaningful progress at the summit.
The Controversy Surrounding Sultan al-Jaber:
Sultan al-Jaber’s dual role as the president of COP28 and the CEO of a major oil company has sparked heated debate. Over 100 members of the European Parliament and the US Congress have called for his replacement, arguing that his position could allow fossil fuel companies to exert undue influence on climate negotiations. Former US Vice President Al Gore has also criticized al-Jaber’s blatant conflict of interest. However, al-Jaber argues that his industry experience uniquely positions him to garner support for climate action and persuade the fossil fuel sector to take decisive steps towards decarbonization.
The Global Alliance for Decarbonization:
In preparation for COP28, al-Jaber is focusing on recruiting energy companies and high-emitting businesses to join his Global Alliance for Decarbonization. This alliance aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and significant reductions in methane emissions by the end of this decade. While the specifics of the alliance’s commitments are still being finalized, al-Jaber claims that over 20 oil companies have already pledged their support. By highlighting the progress made by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) in decarbonizing its operations, al-Jaber aims to exert pressure on other companies to follow suit.
Allegations of “Greenwashing” and Adnoc’s Efforts:
Critics argue that al-Jaber’s claims of progress at Adnoc are undermined by the company’s plans to increase oil and gas production this decade and its reluctance to include “scope 3” emissions in its zero emissions target. However, Adnoc has made significant efforts to clean up its business, including committing to stop regular gas flaring, eliminating all methane emissions by 2030, and investing $15 billion in low-carbon solutions. Al-Jaber urges the industry’s stakeholders to recognize the inevitability of phasing out fossil fuels and focus on reducing emissions rather than demonizing the fossil fuel sector.
Finance at the Center of the Agenda:
Al-Jaber emphasizes the importance of finance in tackling climate change and plans to make it a centerpiece of COP28. He aims to push donor countries to replenish the Green Climate Fund and double funding for climate adaptation in the poorest nations. Additionally, al-Jaber wants to operationalize the loss and damage fund agreed upon at COP27 and secure financing for it. He also seeks progress on blended finance, encouraging governments and multilateral financiers to incentivize private sector investment in climate-related initiatives.
The Need for Genuine Progress:
While al-Jaber promises action on crucial issues at COP28, critics remain skeptical about his influence and commitment to meaningful change. They argue that the UN climate process has been captured by the fossil fuel agenda, and genuine progress might be hindered. One contentious issue is carbon capture and storage (CCS), with supporters viewing it as a technology to reduce emissions, while skeptics see it as a distraction from renewable energy sources. The success of COP28 will be measured not only by the agreements reached but also by the extent to which it holds the fossil fuel industry accountable and promotes ambitious action.
Conclusion:
As COP28 approaches, the controversy surrounding Sultan al-Jaber and his presidency looms large. While detractors raise concerns about his ties to the fossil fuel industry, al-Jaber argues that his position can leverage support for climate action. The success of COP28 will depend on meaningful progress in decarbonization efforts, finance commitments, and holding the fossil fuel industry accountable. As stakeholders gear up for the summit, the global community awaits the outcomes that will shape the fight against climate change in the years to come.
Summary:
COP28, the UN climate summit in Dubai, is being met with controversy due to Sultan al-Jaber’s appointment as its president. Al-Jaber’s role as the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has drawn criticism from those who believe it could compromise the summit’s goals. However, al-Jaber sees his position as an opportunity to bridge the gap between the fossil fuel industry and climate action. While there are concerns about “greenwashing” and the insufficient progress made by Adnoc, al-Jaber aims to pressure companies to follow their lead and commit to decarbonization. Finance will be a central focus of COP28, with efforts to replenish the Green Climate Fund and increase funding for climate adaptation. Critics question al-Jaber’s influence and whether genuine progress can be achieved. The success of COP28 rests on holding the fossil fuel industry accountable and promoting ambitious action against climate change.
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With less than two months to go until COP28, the Dubai conference is shaping up to be one of the most intense and controversial UN climate summits yet. Much of that controversy has centered on the event’s president, Sultan al-Jaber, who spoke to me and FT colleagues Attracta Mooney and Simeon Kerr yesterday about his ambitions for the event, while dismissing critics of him .
Read on and let us know your thoughts on what’s next for COP28. Whatever twists and turns emerge, we will be present in Dubai, providing you with daily updates from the field.
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Sultan al-Jaber has his work cut out for him to silence his critics
In the tumultuous 28-year history of UN climate summits, perhaps no individual has been as prominent a human lightning rod for criticism as Sultan al-Jaber, the president of this year’s COP28 in Dubai.
The host of the event – the United Arab Emirates, the world’s seventh-largest oil producer – was always going to be fiercely controversial. The decision to put Jaber at the helm, even as he continues to serve as CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, added a heavy dose of fuel to the fire.
More than 100 members of the European Parliament and the US Congress wrote to the United Nations in May to urge Jaber’s replacement, arguing that his role would allow fossil fuel companies to “exert undue influence” on climate negotiations. Former US Vice President Al Gore followed this summer by criticizing Jaber’s “blatant conflict of interest” in a Widely viewed TED talk.
In our yesterday’s interview, Jaber tried to turn this argument on its head. Far from disqualifying him from the COP presidency, he argued, his powerful role in the oil industry made him uniquely positioned to persuade that sector to support climate action.
Ahead of the start of COP28 on November 30, Jaber is scrambling to recruit energy companies and other high-emitting businesses to his new Global Alliance for Decarbonization, which he hopes to launch at the conference. Members will have to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions from their operations by 2050 and reducing methane emissions to “near zero” by the end of this decade.
Full details of the alliance’s commitments have yet to be finalized, Jaber said, adding that more than 20 oil companies have already pledged their support.
“The fact that we have managed to transform, decarbonise and future-proof Adnoc in such a short period of time gives me full confidence” that the industry will be able to sustain progress towards limiting global warming to 1, 5°C, Jaber said.
This claim will infuriate Jaber’s many critics, given Adnoc’s plans to increase oil and gas production this decade and its reluctance to include “scope 3” emissions – from its supply chain and the use of its products – in its zero target network.
But Adnoc has made greater efforts to clean up its business than some large oil producers, notably by stopping regular gas flaring, pledging to eliminate all methane emissions from its operations by 2030 and all net operational carbon emissions by 2045, and committing $15 billion in investments towards “low-carbon solutions” this decade. By challenging laggards to follow Adnoc’s lead and highlighting which ones do or do not align, Jaber can rightly claim to be putting pressure on the industry’s most recalcitrant companies.
“The phasing out of fossil fuels is inevitable and essential,” Jaber said. “I don’t want this industry to be seen in any way, shape or form [as] going against the gradual reduction. This is happening.”
His choice of language is worth examining here. Like me reported from Sharm el-Sheikh last year, the final days of COP27 resulted in a belated effort by dozens of countries to include a reference to “phasing out” all fossil fuels in the final declaration. This proposal was rejected, with some participants blaming opposition from Saudi Arabia and other major oil producers. It is unclear whether this language has a chance of making it into the final text this time, but the COP28 president’s emphatic support, as a senior figure in a major oil-producing state, is noteworthy.
It is on this final text, and the broader momentum that is (or is not) galvanized by the intergovernmental talks, that the Jaber-led COP presidency will be judged. Jaber said he will put finance at the center of his agenda for the event: he will push donor countries to engage replenish the Green Climate Fundand to double funding for climate adaptation in the poorest countries.
Following the agreement in principle at COP27 establish a loss and damage fund to help climate-vulnerable nations, he promised to make it operational and secure an agreement on how it will be financed. And he wants the event to deliver progress on blended finance, with governments and multilateral financiers expanding efforts to incentivize climate-related investment from the private sector.
Whatever progress is achieved on these issues, however, critics will look for evidence to support Gore’s claim that, under Jaber’s leadership, the COP process has been “captured” by the fossil fuel agenda. A hot topic is carbon capture and storage: for its promoters, a technology that will allow the continued use of fossil fuels without planet-warming emissions; to his skeptics, an unproven large-scale concept that is cynically promoted by the oil and gas industry, diverting funding from truly clean energy sources.
Jaber defended investments in carbon capture, saying the world should “commercialize and scale it up because it is a proven technology that will help reduce and eliminate carbon.” And he urged COP28 participants to focus on attacking “climate change and emissions”, rather than the fossil fuel industry “which has contributed to human prosperity for hundreds of years”.
But as Jaber himself acknowledged, fossil fuels are running out, in a trend that governments must now accelerate. To be credible – and restore trust in the UN climate process – COP28 will have to make life much more uncomfortable for all but the most ambitious companies in its sector. (Simon Mundy)
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