Our final hope is an Arab oil sheik who plans to extend manufacturing. Is not that an issue?
Essay by Eric Worrall
… A diplomat from a developed country said, “It couldn’t be much worse.” Another said, “You couldn’t make that up.” …
“The window is closing”: Cop28 must bring about a change of course in terms of climate
Six months to the UN summit in Dubai: Can the country’s oil exec bring unwilling countries to the line?
Fiona Harvey Environmental Editor Fri 2 Jun 2023 at 9pm AEST
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“Cop28 needs to set tougher emissions reduction targets and commit to peak global emissions by 2025,” he said. “[There must be] a plan to fuel the clean energy revolution and a commitment to phase out fossil fuels. And a meaningful agreement on how to scale up public and private finance to help developing countries decarbonize their economies – from billions to trillions.”
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That’s the theory. But even the most optimistic cop supporters might find their high hopes dwindling in the face of Cop28.
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In such dire circumstances, any cop would be a challenge. There is an additional twist for Cop28. The event takes place in Dubai and is hosted by the United Arab Emirates, a leading oil and gas producer. And the official chosen to chair the summit – Sultan Al Jaber – is the CEO of the country’s national oil company, Adnoc, which is planning a major expansion in production capacity.
A diplomat from a developed country said: “It couldn’t be much worse.” Another said: “You couldn’t make that up.”
Jaber’s appointment in January was met with disbelief and dismay from climate activists and experts around the world. “If I were asked how to make Cop28 a success, I wouldn’t put the head of a fossil fuel company in charge of organizing it,” said Friederike Otto, Lecturer in Climate at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute. “I would not invite fossil fuel company lobbyists. I would try to see that everything is done to phase out fossil fuels from the world’s energy supply as quickly as possible.”
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/02/window-closing-cop28-change-course-climate-dubai
At least you can’t criticize COP for a lack of innovation – who knew they’d hire an oil sheik to chair a climate conference?
It’s clear that the only way forward is if the oil exec doesn’t live up to her expectations. Put a climate skeptic in charge. I hereby offer my services to organize the next COP conference after this one, COP29. For a modest, inflation-adjusted eight-figure salary and budget to match, I promise I’ll do at least as well as the Arab oilman.
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