World leaders are scheduled to meet this week for a summit on climate change that’s being hosted by one of the top oil-producing nations, the United Arab Emirates. Leaked documents now show the UAE was planning to use its role as host of COP28 to make side deals that run afoul of the summit’s goal to reduce carbon emissions, according to the BBC.
Go read this BBC report on the allegations, which are quite serious and totally unforeseeable. Because, really, who could’ve known that putting the CEO of the UAE’s state-owned oil company, Adnoc, in charge of UN climate talks would turn out to be a bad idea, and that he might use his position to make oil deals instead?
Among the findings, Dr. Sultan al-Jaber reportedly sought to do business with multiple countries attending COP28. The Adnoc CEO and future COP president sent out instructions of how meetings with foreign officials would go. These included plans to foster relations with China, Brazil, Colombia and Germany to secure future oil rights and maintain a steady supply of liquified natural gas. Per the BBC:
The documents – obtained by independent journalists at the Centre for Climate Reporting working alongside the BBC – were prepared by the UAE’s COP28 team for meetings with at least 27 foreign governments ahead of the COP28 summit, which starts on 30 November.
They included proposed “talking points”, such as one for China which says Adnoc, the UAE’s state oil company, is “willing to jointly evaluate international LNG [liquefied natural gas] opportunities” in Mozambique, Canada and Australia.
The documents suggest telling a Colombian minister that Adnoc “stands ready” to support Colombia to develop its fossil fuel resources.
There are talking points for 13 other countries, including Germany and Egypt, which suggest telling them Adnoc wants to work with their governments to develop fossil fuel projects.
The BBC says that among the responsibilities of the COP president, it’s his job “to encourage countries to be as ambitious as possible in their efforts to cut emissions.” COP28’s marquee objective is to slash greenhouse gas emissions by up to 43 percent by 2030, as compared to 2019 levels. The BBC adds that the president is supposed to persuade members to be as ambitious as possible.
And yet talking points in the leaked emails included plans to invest in fossil fuels and, in some cases, increase oil and gas production, as the BBC reports:
- The Brazilian environment minister was to be asked for help “securing alignment and endorsement” for Adnoc’s bid for Latin America’s largest oil and gas processing company, Braskem. Earlier this month, Adnoc made a $2.1bn (£1.7bn) offer to buy a key stake
- Germany was to be told by Adnoc: “We stand ready to continue our LNG supplies”
- Adnoc suggested the oil-producing nations of Saudi Arabia and Venezuela be told “there is no conflict between the sustainable development of any country’s natural resources and its commitment to climate change”
The International Energy Agency stresses that no new oil and gas fields should be developed if the world plans to actually hit its target climate goals — among those being a global temperature increase of no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
BBC investigators said COP28 staff members were told to always include talking points in favor of the UAE’s oil company. Such a breach of responsibility to the UN’s climate goals would signal a failure of the COP, according to previous presidents of the climate summit. This possibly goes beyond a conflict of interest on behalf of the United Arab Emirates and reeks of blatant corruption.
For its part, the COP28 team says the allegations are “simply untrue.” The team insists Dr. Sultan al-Jaber’s position as the CEO of an oil major was known from the outset, and that it doesn’t preclude the business of COP, which is delivering “ambitious and transformational climate outcomes.” Ambitious, indeed.
