UAE sparks furious backlash by appointing Abu Dhabi oil chief as president of COP28 climate summit

UAE sparks furious backlash by appointing Abu Dhabi oil chief as president of COP28 climate summit

The United Arab Emirates announced Thursday that the head of the state oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), one of the world's largest oil companies, will lead the COP28 climate talks in Dubai later this year. The appointment of Sultan al-Jaber as COP28 president-designate provoked a furious backlash from climate activists and civil society groups. Many called on the oil chief to relinquish his role as ADNOC CEO, saying it represents a clear conflict of interest with his COP28 position. The office of al-Jaber — who also serves as UAE minister for industry and technology and the country's climate envoy — he would play a pivotal role in intergovernmental negotiations in order to build consensus at the conference. The UAE, the third largest producer of the OPEC oil alliance, will host the U.N.-brokered climate talks from Nov. 30 through to Dec. 12. In a statement confirming his appointment al-Jaber said, "The UAE is approaching COP28 with a strong sense of responsibility and the highest possible level of ambition." "Pragmatism and constructive dialogue must be at the forefront of our progress," he added. Al-Jaber's office said the minister had played a "proactive participatory role" at more than 10 COP