Why the next climate summit is stirring controversy

Every year the world convenes for the United Nations climate talks and members of the Conference of the Parties (COP) decide on the dates and venue of its next session.

The host nation then names someone to chair the talks. The government of the host country holds the presidency of the COP for one year, till the conference is concluded. It usually names one of its ministers as the president.

While there have been many controversies around these UN-brokered climate talks before, some around representation of the Global South and logistical difficulties as was experienced during Cop 26 at Glasgow, Scotland, this year it is the presidency.

At the centre of this year’s controversy is the head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Cop28’s president-designate Sultan Al Jaber.

When and where will the Cop28 be?

The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference will convene from November 30 to December 12, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Why could Cop28 be one of the most controversial?

The UAE’s choice for president-designate of Cop28, Sultan Al-Jaber, is the head of oil giant ADNOC and this has not sat well with some climate activists, who are also suspicious of the nation’s influence at the negotiation table during the November-December talks.

ADNOC is the world’s 11th biggest oil and gas producer and delivered more than a billion barrels of oil equivalent (BBOE) in 2021.

International organisations including Amnesty International have said, “Sultan al-Jaber’s appointment sends the wrong signal to the people most affected by climate change.”

With less than four months to the summit, environmentalists have questioned the objectivity of the summit headed by a big oil executive and have heightened concerns that the UAE will use its presidency to foster fossil fuel interests.

Why is there a lack of trust?

The lack of trust lies in the fact that the biggest oil producer, whom lobbyists have painted as a big polluter is steering the climate summit.

Mr Al Jaber has also been accused of using public relations companies to greenwash his Wikipedia entries to prop him up as a climate champion and an ally.

His team was accused of editing Wikipedia. However, the firm came out to say the edits were transparent.

There have also been allegations that the UAE plans to use the summit to expand its oil and gas production and distribution.

Trust has been broken between climate activists and some of the UAE's oil-producing neighbours.

Last year, Saudi Arabia was one of the countries that opposed phasing out of fossil fuels saying, the UN climate convention “needs to address emissions and not the origins of the emissions”.

Why are environmentalists opposed to Al-Jaber chairing the Cop28 meeting?

The fossil fuel boss being named to chair a conference whose main goal is to get the world to move away from oil and fossil fuels is being seen as a conflict of interest.

Climate activists believe that the president of the climate conference has a direct connection to everything they’re fighting against.

What do COP presidents do, and what influence does Mr Al Jaber have on outcomes?

The role of the COP president is to facilitate and guide the negotiations. The president does not have any special powers but does play a key role in prioritising the agenda of discussions and helping forge a consensus on important issues.

They develop effective international relationships with countries, institutions, businesses and stakeholders to achieve the necessary commitments in advance of and at COP.

But fears persist that the president could sway and command a majority of the stakeholders against some of the resolutions that could affect their business.

What happens if the world's largest oil producer declines some of the proposed resolutions?

The president is not the decision maker and his word is not final. Parties with approved credentials are allowed to vote.

The conference decides on draft resolutions, decisions and amendment proposals by consensus.

Upon completion of the discussions, the conference or the committee decides by consensus, if possible. Whenever the conference does not reach a consensus, the chair proposes that the decision be put to a vote.

Should oil companies be part of the climate conversation?

Oil and gas companies are well aware of the dangers of climate change. The International Institute for Sustainability Development says national oil companies (NOCs) are key players in the global oil and gas industry as they produce half of the world’s oil and gas, and invest 40 percent of capital into the sector but have been overlooked.

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