The double face of the COP28 Presidency

Translated by Giulia Maffeis

In 1995, the first United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP) was held, born with the aim of "Accelerating solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resources and fair economies" as reported on the same website of the International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD). Since then, every year the COP has taken place in various cities around the world, leading to remarkable results: in 2015, during COP21, States signed the Paris Agreement in which they made efforts to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero in this century and to limit the rise in temperature below 1.5 ºC compared to pre-industrial levels.

This year, COP 28 takes place from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, where one of the main aims is to take stock of the goals concerning COP21. Unprecedented participation is expected and the importance of this event is highlighted.

The choice of location and, therefore, the presidency of this conference have raised many doubts and judgments. This is because at the head of COP 28 is Sultan Al-Jaber, CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) group, the largest oil company in the Arab Emirates.

The role of the president is to be an honest mediator in the negotiations and discussions of the various countries, but al-Jaber was immediately accused of abuse of power for his position in favour of the ADNOC. This is because various documents of the presidency of COP 28 reported the willingness of the oil company to establish agreements for selling gas and oil with other countries.

On the other hand, Al-Jaber responded to these allegations by pointing out that the Emirates did not need to establish relations with other countries through the COP or its presidency.

If that event had already raised criticism, the subsequent statements of the president of COP 28 in recent days have raised a storm of accusations of denial of climate change for the president of ADNOC.

As a matter of fact, during a meeting, Al-Jaber is asked a question by former Irish President and former UN High Commissioner Mary Robinson, asking him why fossil fuels have not yet been eliminated.

It’s the very response of the president that left many speechless. He stated that “there's no scientific proof” that supports the need to phase out fossil fuels to achieve the goal set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Al-Jaber argues that the elimination of fossil fuels would lead to an impossibility of sustainable development, and even to a return “back into caves”.

The CEO of ADNOC has repeatedly stressed the importance of continuing to use fossil fuels to avoid stopping the socio-economic system; on the other hand, he also stressed that the reduction of fossil fuels is inevitable. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the Arab Emirates has already moved towards decarbonisation in the extraction of resources such as gas and oil; without referring, however, to the combustion of these materials, which leads to much higher emissions than extraction.

These statements clash with what the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, arguing that it’s impossible to achieve a reduction of 1.5 ºC without eliminating fossil fuels.

Faced with the various accusations that have been made, al-Jaber argues that his words have not been understood, as there has been a misunderstanding. He reiterates that he is an engineer, believes in science and supports the need for a gradual elimination of fossil fuels, which is inevitable, but also the need for it to be regulated. Finally, he finds himself surprised at how often this message is underestimated.

In conclusion, it’s still too early to analyse the Presidency and the outcome of COP 28, which has certainly received a lot of media attention both positively and negatively. This Climate Change Conference promises to play a crucial role in understanding what has been done and how there’s a need to move forward to achieve the goal that the States set in the Paris Agreement in 2015.

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