Emirati COP28 president clarifies fossil fuel comments amid heavy backlash

Sultan Al Jaber, the leader of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, faces criticism after claiming that there is “no science” supporting the need to phase out fossil fuels to achieve climate goals, seeming to confirm earlier worries by critics of the oil-producing country's conflict of interest and the direction the climate talks would take.

CNN reported that Al Jaber fiercely defended his commitment to climate science in a news conference on December 5, stating that his comments were misinterpreted after an increasing number of scientists and advocates expressed alarm at the comments.

Al Jaber made the remarks during the She Changes Climate panel event on November 21, though his statement came to light only on December 3 in a story published by the Guardian. Al Jaber was asked if he would lead on phasing out fossil fuels, to which he responded “there is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says the phase-out of fossil fuel is what’s going to achieve 1.5”, which is the goal to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

He continued that the 1.5-degree goal was his “north star,” and a phase-down and phase-out of fossil fuel was “inevitable” but cautioned that “we need to be real, serious and pragmatic".

According to the publication, a spokesperson for the COP28 said “this story is just another attempt to undermine the Presidency’s agenda, which has been clear and transparent and backed by tangible achievements by the COP President and his team”.

Al Jaber’s presidency of the COP28 summit has already faced lots of controversy ahead of its start as the Emirati businessman is the UAE’s climate envoy and chairs the board of directors of its renewables company, but he also heads the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).