UN Climate Summit Organizers in PR Nightmare – Tensions Rise Amidst Climate Crisis!

UN Climate Conference: Corporate Sponsors and Controversies

The organizers of the United Nations (UN) climate conference have announced key corporate sponsors for the upcoming summit in Dubai, despite mounting criticism of the COP28 petro-state leadership. The UN Climate Conference, also known as the COP28, is scheduled to begin on November 30th, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as host, has offered sponsorship packages of up to $8.2 million for a lead partner. These packages provide privileged access into the “blue zone,” where world leaders convene to discuss climate issues. However, civil society and small businesses can only access the “green zone” for less than $7,000 per space.

Meanwhile, a wave of criticism continues to trouble the COP28. More than 100 Western politicians and activists are protesting against the appointment of Sultan al-Jaber as president-designate for UN climate talks. Al-Jaber is also the head of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, which has fueled speculations regarding conflict of interest. The US and EU have continued to support the UAE despite these issues.

However, this PR battle has created problems for the COP28 team, which has lost the support of at least three international media agencies over the past year. Consequently, the COP28 is looking to hire another consultancy to take over communication support. Additionally, there are reports of a multilingual astroturfing effort around the COP28. A British academic, Marc Owen-Jones, has identified at least 100 fake Twitter accounts amplifying support for the UAE and the COP28 presidency.

The UAE’s record on climate change further complicates matters. While the COP28 presidency claims that the non-stop production of fossil fuels must be phased out, Sultan al-Jaber believes that tackling emissions through lower demand or carbon capture and storage is the main priority. Despite hefty investments in renewable energy under al-Jaber’s leadership of Masdar, its $30 billion worth of commitments thus far compare with an expected $150 billion in capital expenditures as the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company looks to expand oil production capacity over the next five years. This imbalance has attracted criticism from climate scientists and the International Energy Agency.

At this point, it is worth noting that hosting a high-profile event like the COP28 brings the UAE’s domestic human rights situation under scrutiny. Advocacy groups have called for the release of dozens of political dissidents detained since 2012, many of whom remain incarcerated despite serving their sentences. Authorities label the detainees a terrorist threat.

Despite these controversies, some officials close to the government remain optimistic about the impact of the COP28. They believe that the UAE’s summoning power across the developing world could create breakthroughs among big polluters. According to banking executives, the UAE’s multipolar foreign policy offers unique outreach opportunities to countries such as China, Russia, and India.

In summary, the COP28 is facing mounting criticism arising from controversies around the petro-state leadership of the UAE. This has led to loss of support from international media and raised serious doubts about the country’s ability to lead on climate change even as it hosts a high-profile event. Despite this, there are still hopes that the UAE’s connections in Asia and Europe could contribute to progress on climate action.

An Additional Piece: The Role of Corporates in Climate Action

The controversy surrounding corporate sponsorships at the COP28 highlights the role of businesses in climate action. In recent years, there has been a growing push to involve businesses in tackling climate change. The rationale for this is that corporations are major emitters of greenhouse gases and therefore must be part of the solution.

There are several ways in which businesses can contribute to climate action. These include reducing their carbon footprint, investing in renewable energy, and supporting climate policy initiatives. However, some argue that corporate involvement in climate action could be motivated by profit-seeking rather than genuine concern for the environment.

The issue of corporate influence in climate action has led to debates about the appropriate role of businesses in this area. Some argue that businesses should be free to pursue their own self-interest while others contend that businesses must be held accountable for their environmental impact. This has led to calls for increased regulation and transparency around business operations.

One way in which governments are seeking to hold businesses accountable is through carbon pricing. This involves placing a tax on carbon emissions to incentivize companies to reduce their greenhouse gas output. The logic behind carbon pricing is that it would not only reduce emissions but also generate revenue that could be used to fund climate initiatives.

Despite the growing role of corporates in climate action, some critics are skeptical about the effectiveness of this approach. They argue that the emphasis on voluntary corporate action could lead to a situation where companies with poor environmental records continue to do business as usual while those committed to environmental stewardship go bankrupt. Therefore, some argue that governments must take the lead in combating climate change.

In conclusion, while there is no doubt that businesses have a role to play in tackling climate change, the controversy surrounding corporate sponsorships at the COP28 highlights concerns about the motivations and accountability of private sector actors in this area. Despite these concerns, it is clear that businesses and governments must work together to create a sustainable future for all.

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Organizers of the UN climate conference are proposing key corporate sponsors for the Dubai summit at the same time as the UAE attempts to battle mounting criticism of the COP28 petrostate leadership.

The United Arab Emirates COP28 has offered sponsorship packages ranging up to $8.2 million (Dh30mn) for a lead partner to enjoy privileged access into the controlled “blue zone” where world leaders convene, according to documents sent to prospective sponsors. Space in the “green zone,” open to civil society and small businesses, costs less than $7,000 (Dh25,000). Expressions of interest for the pavilions close this week for the event which will start on November 30th.

The marketing push comes as activists and more than 100 Western politicians they opposed the appointment of Sultan al-Jaber as president-designate for UN climate talks while also heading the state-owned Abu Dhabi National oil company. The US and the EU have so far continued to support the UAE.

Through this PR battle, the COP28 team has failed to retain at least three international media agencies over the past year, including BCW, Edelman and FGS, people with knowledge of the matter said.

COP28 is now looking to hire another consultancy to take over communications support. The organizers also seconded employees from national organizations including ADNOC, the state-run renewable energy group Masdar and the foreign ministry.

Edelman said he supported the COP28 presidency announcement and initial launch: “However, this engagement has ended.” BCW and FGS declined to comment.

CT Group has also been hired, including former Downing Street aide to former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who opposed an oil and gas tax, David Canzini, to provide strategic advice, as previously reported by the Financial Times.

Separately, a British academic based in Qatar, Marc Owen-Jones, which specializes in online disinformation, has identified at least 100 fake Twitter accounts engaged in a “major multilingual astroturfing effort” around COP28, which promotes the UAE’s foreign policy and improves its environmental record. Astroturfing is a PR campaign that amplifies support for a cause through connected fictitious accounts.

The COP28 presidency said these fake bot accounts, which it said it reported to Twitter, were “generated by external actors unrelated to COP28 and are clearly designed to discredit COP28 and the climate process.”

Jaber drew the ire of climate activists after arguing that fossil fuel production shouldn’t be the focus of the climate summit, but rather tackling emissions, through lower demand or carbon capture and storage technology that allows the continued use of oil and gas.

The UAE has also sought to highlight the push for renewable energy under Jaber’s leadership of Masdar. But its $30 billion worth of commitments so far compare with an expected $150 billion in capital expenditures as ADNOC looks to expand oil production capacity over the next five years.

Climate scientists and the International Energy Agency say the development of new oil and gas needs to be halted to keep global warming to 1.5C since pre-industrial times. May was the second warmest month globally in 30 years.

In his latest speech to the United Nations climate talks in Bonn, Germany, Jaber remained consistent in saying that the “non-stop” production of fossil fuels must be phased out – referring to production without carbon capture – while renewable energy capacity and energy efficiency have been boosted.

He went a step further, adding for the first time that “the phasing out of fossil fuels is inevitable,” but stopped short of a timeline or suggesting a manufacturing phase-out that many countries have been seeking.

The UAE’s invitation to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has further sparked unrest in Western capitals opposed to his diplomatic rehabilitation.

Hosting such a high-profile event also brought the autocracy’s domestic human rights situation under fresh scrutiny. Advocacy groups have called for the release of dozens of political dissidents detained since 2012, many of whom remain incarcerated despite serving their sentences. Authorities label the detainees a terrorist threat, activists said.

Jaber, an engineer by training regarded by Abu Dhabi’s leadership as one of its most effective technocrats, is known for being particularly demanding and sensitive to criticism, and has a reputation for often doing without consultants.

“Forget external challenges and reputational issues, internally COP is a very politically complex space, a customer that is very hard to please,” said a communications manager.

Officials close to the government say the UAE’s summoning power across the developing world could combine to create breakthroughs among big polluters.

Abu Dhabi’s pursuit of a multipolar foreign policy, balancing historic security ties with Western states alongside new oil and trade ties with powers like China, Russia and India, gives the Gulf monarchy capacity to outreach beyond most of Western democracies, they say.

“A victory would be to walk away from the summit with a result on financing for emerging economies, or progress on losses and damages [funding]”, said a banker.

In 2009, the world’s major economies pledged to raise $100 billion annually to finance climate action through an adaptation fund for developing countries, but the annual target has yet to be met. “They will push for the north to take on the long-promised $100 billion,” said an Abu Dhabi-based executive. “And who knows, they might figure it out.”

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