This year’s COP28 Summit is currently underway in the UAE, and it has been riddled with controversies right from the word go.
On November 21, Al Jaber—who happens to be the president and host of the Dubai-based COP28 as well as the CEO of the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company, Adnoc, set the cat among the pigeons with a string of incendiary comments that didn’t go down well with international climate activists.
“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 1.5C,” Al Jaber made this explosive statement after he challenged former Irish President Mary Robinson during a She Changes Climate event.
“Please help me, show me the roadmap for a phaseout of fossil fuel that will allow for sustainable socioeconomic development, unless you want to take the world back into caves,” he had added.
UAE’s damage control
The comments triggered a major global backlash, which has now prompted the all-powerful UAE leader to desperately win the confidence of the international community back.
“I respect the science in everything I do. I have repeatedly said that it is the science that has guided the principles or strategy as COP28 president. We have always built everything, every step of the way, on the science, on the facts,” Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said during a press conference on Monday (Dec 4).
“I know that there are strong views among some [countries], about the phase-down or phaseout of fossil fuels. Allow me to say this again: This is the first [COP] presidency ever to actively call on parties to come forward with language on all fossil fuels for the negotiated text,” he said.
UAE trying to strike oil deals during COP28?
To UAE’s further embarrassment, a bombshell report released last week claimed that the host nation was utilising its hosting of the COP28 summit as an opportunity to strike oil and gas deals with at least 15 nations.
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A report by BBC claimed that UAE’s COP28 team was preparing to hold meetings with foreign governments, with intentions of furthering fossil fuel collaborations.
(With inputs from agencies)
