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Episode 73
We need to talk about COP28, the 28th installment of the United Nations Climate Talks, which will take place in Dubai, UAE at the end of this year. For the first time ever, the CEO of an oil company - literally the constituency that must stop all new oil & gas and phase-down existing oil & gas - has been appointed as the President of a COP - literally the global forum which is supposed to phase-down the production of oil & gas. Does this mean that Big Oil has finally succeeded in completing its hijacking of the annual meeting of 198 countries to act on climate? Should the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat be going nuts about it and acting (fat chance, probably)? Or does fighting climate change require all hands on deck, as some prominent voices have argued? Listen, weep or cheer, and make up your own mind. Then do something about it.
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We need to talk about COP28, the 28th installment of the United Nations Climate Talks, which will take place in Dubai, UAE at the end of this year. For the first time ever, the CEO of an oil company – literally the constituency that must stop all new oil & gas and phase-down existing oil & gas – has been appointed as the President of a COP – literally the global forum which is supposed to phase-down the production of oil & gas. Does this mean that Big Oil has finally succeeded in completing its hijacking of the annual meeting of 198 countries to act on climate? Should the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat be going nuts about it and acting (fat chance, probably)? Or does fighting climate change require all hands on deck, as some prominent voices have argued? Listen, weep or cheer, and make up your own mind. Then do something about it.
Assaad W. Razzouk
“COP28 climate team queried over ties to national oil company”: https://www.politico.eu/article/cop28-climate-team-uae-shares-offices-un-abu-dhabi-national-oil-company-ahmed-al-jaber/
“The COP28 team is marshalling a new alliance of the oil and gas sector”: https://ft.com/content/0d8b8b3e-7f5c-4e0b-8766-834cf01ca876
“Revealed: UAE plans huge oil and gas expansion as it hosts UN climate summit”: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/04/revealed-uae-plans-huge-oil-and-gas-expansion-as-it-hosts-un-climate-summit
“COP28 President Al Jaber Calls for End of ‘Fossil Fuel Emissions’. The push leaves room to burn more oil and gas, while boosting investment in technologies to capture the carbon dioxide produced in the process”: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-02/cop28-president-al-jaber-calls-to-end-fossil-fuel-emissions
“UAE climate event organisers warn speakers not to ‘criticise corporations’”: https://www.ft.com/content/9ddd07b6-5d85-4b32-a0f8-d3cff4a5faca
“COP28 climate summit offering multi-million pound sponsorship packages for exclusive access”: https://news.sky.com/story/cop28-climate-summit-offering-multi-million-pound-sponsorship-packages-for-exclusive-access-12882200
“Le président de la COP28, patron d’une compagnie pétrogazière émirati, qui a annoncé un accord pour fournir à TotalEnergies du gaz naturel liquéfié destiné à l’Asie, appelle à « tripler », d’ici à 2030, la capacité de production d’énergies renouvelables”: https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2023/05/03/les-emirats-et-les-compagnies-petrolieres-financent-la-transition-verte-avec-la-manne-du-petrole_6171902_3234.html
“Syrian president Assad invited to COP28 climate summit by the UAE”: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/16/world/syria-al-assad-cop28-climate-summit-intl/index.html
Lobbyists galore: “https://www.ft.com/content/87dc8fb5-ebf6-4f3d-b0a5-157a25a6d099”
“Cop28 host UAE’s approach is ‘dangerous’, says UN’s ex-climate chief. Christiana Figueres says focus on carbon capture is direct threat to survival of vulnerable countries”: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/16/cop28-host-uae-climate-united-arab-emirates
“Fighting Climate Change Requires All Hands On Deck. That’s why Dr. Sultan Al Jaber is the right person to preside over the upcoming UN climate summit”: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-05-28/sultan-al-jaber-is-the-right-man-for-cop28?sref=En3bILwz
