COP28 A Disappointment – OpEd
US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, presidents of the world’s largest emitting countries, agreed to cooperate on addressing climate change at a rare meeting in November. However, neither of them are expected to attend COP28. Other non-attendees include Justin Trudeau of Canada and Vladimir Putin of Russia.
COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber emphasized the necessity of including fossil fuels in any climate deal during his address to delegates in Dubai on Thursday. Encouraging a shift in mindset, he stressed the need to explore unconventional approaches. As the United Nations’ largest-ever climate summit, COP28, commenced in Dubai, Al-Jaber, also the CEO of the UAE state oil company, leveraged these meetings to advocate for oil and gas deals.
However, his assertion that there is “no science” supporting the phasing out of fossil fuels received criticism from attendees at the COP28 conference, including lawmakers, scientists, and activists, who expressed concerns about his commitment to fossil fuels amid the global push for an energy transition.
Sultan Al-Jaber seems to have used the COP28 meeting to promote and endorse fossil fuels.
Despite showing a serious commitment to issues like global warming and environmental sensitivity from an ethical perspective, we can say that the COP28 meeting is a disappointment.