UAE's Sultan Al Jaber, the COP28 president and chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company, cannot envision a future without coal, oil and gas.
Damian Carrington and Ben Stockton report for The Guardian.
In short:
- UAE's COP28 president, Sultan Al Jaber, opposes the complete cessation of fossil fuel use.
- Al Jaber's opposition puts him at odds with the climate science community and has drawn the ire of renewable energy champions.
- His comments contrast sharply with those of UN secretary general, António Guterres, who spoke to COP28 delegates Friday.
Key quote:
“The science is clear: The 1.5C limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not reduce, not abate. Phase out, with a clear timeframe.”
— UN secretary general, António Guterres
Why this matters:
Al Jaber's insistence that there is no science to support the climate mitigating benefits of a fossil fuel phase-out flies in the face of current scientific consensus and once again calls into question the oil executive's credibility as arbiter of COP28.
Middle Eastern oil giants are increasingly pushing to develop new markets in the developing world.
