Al-Jaber to Head UAE Delegation at COP28 Climate Conference

The United Arab Emirates has named Sultan al Jaber, head of the national oil company, as president for the COP28 climate summit that will be held in Dubai later this year. This is a significant choice, as the UAE is a major oil producer and al Jaber is a well-known figure in the energy industry. The summit will be a key opportunity for the UAE to showcase its commitment to tackling climate change and its efforts to transition to a low-carbon economy.
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Al Jaber is a key figure in the UAE’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. As the UAE’s special envoy on climate change, he is playing a vital role in helping the country achieve its ambitious goal. The UAE is the first nation in the oil- and gas-rich Persian Gulf to set such a target, and it is hoped that its success will inspire other countries in the region to follow suit.
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COP28 will take place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. The president will play a crucial role in setting the agenda and forging a consensus among the different nations.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia have argued that oil-producing companies and states should have a greater role in global climate talks. They have also blamed the recent surge in fossil fuel prices partly on western nations discouraging investments in new projects.
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The UAE will take an inclusive approach to climate change that engages all stakeholders from the public and private sector, according to UAE Minister of State and Special Envoy for Climate Change, Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.“The UAE is well-positioned to build bridges, foster consensus and bring the world together in one shared mission to keep 1.5C alive,” he said, referring to the ambition of capping global warming by that amount.
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Al Jaber's appointment as climate czar may be controversial for many in the climate world because he is chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. The company pumps almost all the crude in the UAE, which produces about 3.2 million barrels a day.
He will continue to serve as CEO of Adnoc, according to sources familiar with the situation.
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Al Jaber is also the chairman of the UAE's biggest renewable-energy company, Masdar. The Abu Dhabi-based firm is able to produce 20 gigawatts of clean power and plans to invest billions of dollars to increase its capacity to 100 gigawatts globally this decade. This is about double the renewable-energy that the UK is able to produce today.
The announcement was made on Thursday by the UAE’s ruler, Mohammed bin Zayed. Egypt hosted last year’s COP27 summit and it made its foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, president.