Andrew is enjoying a break this week. I’m Jan Kooy, taking care of the Daily Brief in the next few days.
Should a deeply repressive country get to host UN climate talks?
No, that would be an extremely bad idea.
So how on earth did the United Arab Emirates become host of the upcoming and crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP28?
The UAE is one of the world’s largest oil producers. It seeks to use the UN conference as a means of improve its image, while continuing to push the expansion of fossil fuels, undermining efforts to confront the climate crisis and protect human rights.
Last month the UAE appointed Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber as president of COP28. Al Jaber is the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). This is the UAE’s foremost fossil fuel company. It recently announced it was expanding all aspects of ADNOC’s operations — despite a growing consensus that there cannot be new oil, gas, or coal development if governments are to meet global climate targets.
The UAE has not been an ally of ambitious and rights-based climate action. The Gulf state sent the largest number of fossil fuel lobbyists as part of its COP27 delegation in Egypt, according to Global Witness, with 70 individuals from within their delegation classified as lobbyists who are either directly affiliated with oil and gas corporations or attending as members of delegations that act on behalf of the oil and gas industry.
Photo: www.hrw.org, Kamran Jebreili
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