UAE’s Jaber says COP28 should be practical, leave no one behind

UAE’s Jaber says COP28 should be practical, leave no one behind

He said the country approached the task with 'humility, a clear sense of responsibility and a great sense of urgency'

By AFP Published: Sat 14 Jan 2023, 11:49 AM Last updated: Sat 14 Jan 2023, 12:01 PM

The president of this year's COP28 climate talks, who heads one of the world's biggest oil companies, on Saturday urged a focus on lower emissions, warning global energy needs were set to accelerate.

Sultan Al Jaber, the United Arab Emirates' special envoy for climate change and CEO of the Adnoc oil giant, said less-polluting fossil fuels would remain part of the energy mix, along with renewables and other solutions.

"As long as the world still uses hydrocarbons, we must ensure they are the least carbon intensive possible," Al Jaber told the Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi, two days after his unveiling as COP president.

"We're working with the energy industry on accelerating decarbonisation, reducing methane and expanding hydrogen. Let's keep our focus on holding back emissions, not progress."

The Gulf country says that oil remains indispensable to the global economy and is pushing the merits of carbon capture -- removing carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, as fuel is burned or from the air.

Al Jaber said the UAE,