DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The next presidential candidate for the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate change conference said Wednesday that the country plans to use the summit to seal oil and gas deals. was strongly denied.
Sultan Al Jaber, who also heads the giant state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, called the BBC allegations an “attempt to undermine the work of the COP28 Presidency” ahead of Thursday’s start of talks. The report cited what the broadcaster described as “leaked meeting documents” that showed the Emirates plans to discuss oil, gas and renewable energy deals with multiple countries.
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“These claims are false, untrue, inaccurate and inaccurate,” Al Jaber told a small group of reporters gathered at a livestreamed news conference. “I promise you that I have never seen the issues they are referring to or used such issues in any discussion.”
He added: “So once again, to respect who we are, to respect what we have achieved over the years, and to be very clear and open about how we want to conduct this COP process. Please respect the fact that we have been clean, honest and transparent about this.”
Asked for comment, the BBC said: “This investigation was rigorously investigated in accordance with the highest editorial standards.” The broadcaster did not elaborate on the report, which was released in conjunction with the Climate Reporting Center.
Immediately after the remarks, a fake news release sent to The Associated Press stated that Al-Jaber had agreed to resign. COP28 organizers and the UAE delegation have since confirmed that this was false and that Al Jaber will continue to hold his post.
Each year, the country hosting the United Nations negotiations, known as the Conference of the Parties (hence the name COP), appoints a person to chair the conference. Because negotiations are difficult to navigate between competing countries and their interests, organizers usually choose seasoned diplomats.
A candidate’s status as “COP President” is normally confirmed by the delegates at the start of consultations, without objection. But negotiations could still get off to a rocky start due to activist anger over Al-Jaber’s selection.
State-run oil company ADNOC plans to increase crude oil production from 4 million barrels per day to up to 5 million barrels per day and increase production of carbon-emitting crude oil and natural gas.
Al Jaber, the 50-year-old longtime climate change envoy, is a trusted confidant of UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He has supported tens of billions of dollars spent or pledged towards renewable energy in a coalition of seven sheikhdoms in the Arabian Peninsula. Al Jaber escorted Sheikh Mohammed inside the COP28 venue on Wednesday ahead of his remarks.
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But the fact that Mr. al-Jaber repeatedly defended himself and his country against criticism from activists shows that while the United States’ major business and military allies still tightly control speech, they have banned political parties and The criminalization of workers’ strikes speaks volumes about the dictatorship of the Emirates.
US President Joe Biden has attended two previous COP meetings in Scotland and Egypt, but will not attend this summit amid the Israel-Hamas war. Vice President Kamala Harris will attend in her place.
