The 2024 climate change conference or conference of the parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP is all set to be hosted by UAE on 30th November. This would be the 28th edition hence the name COP28. Each year the host country nominates a president for the COP summit to moderate the discussions.
Ahead of the conference, controversy regarding the appointed president- Ahmed-Al Juber- the state oil company CEO has sparked. The appointment of the UAE industry minister has faced severe backlash from Western lawmakers and other civil society groups. Climate campaigners and groups are voicing their disappointment with the appointment of an oil executive to head a global summit concerning climate change and mitigating countries to take actions in order to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Summit to limit global warming to 1.5” C against pre industry levels.
The COP28 president who was present at Bonn marked that the COP 28 would be “inclusive” and “game-changing” but did not mention any concrete plans to phase out fossil fuels or address his connections to the fossil fuel industry. However, as the CEO of state oil, his 2030 strategy is to create a more “profitable upstream, more valuable downstream, and more sustainable and economic gas supply hence more fossil fuels. On climate goals, some leaders voice the need to phase out fossil fuels completely while others insist oil and gas continue to play a role but the emissions are somehow curbed. Mr. al-Jaber belongs to the latter school of thought. Climate campaigners argue the technology proposed so far to curb emissions of fossil fuels isn’t tested at a scale. This conflict of interest between COP’s vision and the president’s vision has sparked a debate. German member of the European Parliament- Michael Bloss remarked the appointment was a “scandal”. Another Green party remarked, “It’s like putting the tobacco industry in charge of no smoking”. However, it must be noted the president’s vision does align with UAE’s opinion o fossil fuels and climate change. While the UAE does significantly back the idea of wind and solar energy, it, however, has clarified that it will pursue the use of fossil fuels in the future.
Lawmakers in the West and other civic society groups have been protesting the decision ever since the announcement and have penned down their concerns in a joint letter to the UN, European Commission president, and US President- Joe Biden. The letter warns the fossil fuel companies may exert undue influence in the UAE negotiations owing to the president. They believe the negotiations stand at a risk of getting jeopardized by having an oil company executive. Additionally, the letter emphasizes the need to limit corporate influence on climate change mitigations and requested the proposal of concrete plans to come up with a decisive strategy to tackle the problem of climate change.
The letter has been signed by ninety-nine European Union Members and thirty-four US lawmakers. Among the EU members are the green party, the Left, the Socialists, and the Democrats. Among the US lawmakers, senators such as Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are said to have signed.
