The world has a long way to go when it comes to meeting climate goals, said Sultan al-Jaber, in his first comments since being elected by the United Arab Emirates as president for this year’s COP summit.
“We have come a long way,” he said in a speech in Abu Dhabi. “The world is playing catchup when it comes to the key Paris goal of keeping global temperatures down to 1.5C” above pre-industrial levels.
Al-Jaber’s appointment on Thursday sparked a negative reaction from climate activists, as he heads OPEC member country’s oil and gas producer, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. He is also chairman of Masdar, one of the world’s largest renewable energy investors.
While al-Jaber did not directly address the criticism, he said the UAE will approach the task of hosting COP28 – which will be held in Dubai in November and December – with humility.
“We don’t claim to have all the answers,” he said. “But we believe we have something important to contribute. I’m here to listen and participate.”
He spoke at an Atlantic Council event. US climate envoy John Kerry and UK energy and business secretary Grant Shapps were in the audience.
The UAE wants COP28 to focus on the scale of wind and solar power as well as hydrogen. It is also necessary to ensure that poor countries get funding to develop these technologies and to compensate for climate change caused by industrialized countries, said al-Jaber.
“We want to be a COP for all,” he said. “We want to be a COP that moves from goals to addressing mitigation, adaptation, finance and loss and damage.”
The UAE pumps around 3.4 million barrels of crude oil per day, making it the largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries after Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
The countries say fossil fuel producers should have more of a say in climate discussions. He also blamed the rise in oil and gas prices over the past two years on the lack of investment in these fuels in the west.
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