Sultan al-Jaber, the president of COP28, has called on governments to confront their shortcomings in addressing climate change at the upcoming UN climate summit. During a meeting in
Brussels, he emphasized the need for the November gathering to agree on tripling renewable energy by 2030.
Green organizations praised Al Jaber's speech as a much-needed wake-up call for governments. However, the choice of an oil executive as the leader of the summit in Dubai, UAE drew criticism from campaigners.
In June, UN Climate Executive Secretary Simon Stiell expressed appreciation for Al Jaber's "unique insights" stemming from his experience in the oil industry.
World leaders will convene again in November to discuss progress in combatting the causes and effects of climate change. The selection of the head of the UAE's state oil company as COP president raised concerns among climate activists, particularly given that the UAE ranks among the top 10 largest oil producers globally.
Al Jaber met with climate ministers from countries including Brazil, China, and the US in Belgium on Thursday, coinciding with the breaking of several global heat records and a deadly heatwave sweeping across southern Europe.
"We must be brutally honest about the gaps that need to be filled, the root causes, and how we got to this point today," stated Al Jaber. He called on countries to update their plans and targets outlined in the Paris Agreement, a landmark summit held in 2015.
Highlighting the summit's "North Star," he stressed the importance of keeping global heating below 1.5°C. The Dubai meeting will mark the first official assessment of countries' progress toward goals such as limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C.
Concerns had been raised that the oil executive might not be committed to swiftly reducing fossil fuel usage as recommended by scientists to effectively address climate change. Al Jaber stated on Thursday that the "phase down" of fossil fuels is inevitable, but ending the use of coal, oil, and gas can only occur when renewable energy is sufficiently available.
Al Jaber's plan for COP28 includes tripling renewable energy, doubling energy efficiency, and doubling hydrogen production by 2030.
Campaigners had also expressed worries that the UAE was not adequately preparing for the COP28 summit. However, analysts from the climate group E3G stated that the new vision demonstrated the UAE's "clear grasp of the stepping stones between now and COP28."
"This is a much-needed wake-up call from Sultan Al Jaber to urge countries to enhance their climate targets by September," said a spokesperson from Christian Aid.
Last week, Al Jaber met with King Charles and US President Joe Biden in London to discuss climate finance.
Since the Industrial Revolution, which saw increased burning of fossil fuels, atmospheric CO2 levels have risen by over 50% and continue to grow. The world is now approximately 1.1°C warmer than in the late 19th century. Photo by Masdar Corporate, Wikimedia commons.
