Collective gasp: Oil sultan picked to head U.N. climate conference?

The UAE is one of the 10 largest oil producers in the world. The state oil company, Adnoc, pumped 2.7 million barrels of oil per day in 2021, according to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec).

But the company has bigger plans. It aims to nearly double output to five million barrels per day by 2027 – a target date brought forward from 2030 two months ago by its CEO, Sultan Al Jaber.

“We are an emerging upstream company… with a mandate to stay focused on exploring the UAE’s undeveloped oil and gas potential,” reads the Adnoc website.

So, climate activists and campaigners are now asking how Mr Al Jaber can play an effective role as COP28 president, a conference that will take take stock of where countries are in terms of commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

…”It is the equivalent of appointing the CEO of a cigarette company to oversee a conference on cancer cures,” said Zeina Khalil Hajj, head of global campaigning for 350.org, which campaigns for a complete end to the use of fossil fuels.