Oil industry ‘central’ to climate solutions; Kuwait committed

Oil industry ‘central’ to climate solutions; Kuwait committed

ABU DHABI: The president of the upcoming COP28 climate talks told an Abu Dhabi oil conference on Monday that the fossil fuel industry would play an essential role in addressing the climate crisis. “For too long, this industry has been viewed as part of the problem, that it’s not doing enough and in some cases even blocking progress,” said Sultan Al-Jaber, the president-designate of the COP28 talks, who is also the head of UAE state-owned oil firm ADNOC.

“This is your opportunity to show the world that, in fact, you are central to the solution,” he told the ADIPEC conference of global industry figures and government officials. “This industry can change the global debate… It is time to silence the sceptics by applying scale, capital and technology to deliver outcomes.” Jaber urged industry leaders to curb emissions associated with energy production and expand use of renewable energy sources.

He also encouraged them to embrace “low carbon solutions” like carbon capture and storage, tools that climate experts say distract from the urgent goal of slashing fossil fuel pollution. The COP28 talks will be held in Dubai from Nov 3 to Dec 12. Jaber has garnered the support of COP parties including US climate