By Alfred Koroma
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of world’s largest producers of oil and gas to host COP28 will host the biggest UN Climate summit of the year later this year.
But there is already a controversy: the United Arab Emirates hosting the Conference is among the largest producers of oil and gas, and the country has also appointed Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, one of the world’s biggest oil companies to lead COP28 in Dubai. The decision has drawn wide condemnation.
According to BBC, campaigners have requested that Al Jaber stands down from his oil company role while President, regarding it as a clear conflict of interest to serve in both roles simultaneously.
“They believe someone steeped in the oil industry may not push countries to rapidly reduce their production and use of fossil fuel, which scientists say is critical to avoiding dangerous climate change,” BBC report.
As per the Paris Agreement, the world is working to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. But report published by the United Nations Framework to the Convention on Climate Change warned nations are not doing enough to hit the Paris target.
COP28 is expected to hold the first stocktaking of progress on cutting carbon since the Paris agreement was signed to see how countries will go further in restricting their emissions.
At COP27 in Egypt, over 80 countries pushed for a phase down of oil and gas as well as coal.
Oil and gas which UAE produces are a major contributor to global warming as they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas into the air, causing global warming.
The past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, fuelled by ever-rising greenhouse gas concentrations and accumulated heat. Extreme heatwaves, drought and devastating flooding have affected millions and cost billions this year, says the World Metrological Organization in its 2022 State of the Global Climate report.
