Oil and gas industry engagement in UN climate process: UAE presidency of COP28 undermines climate action

COP28 Chairman and ADNOC CEO Sultan Al Jaber put the interests of the fossil fuel industry above the UN climate process and doomed COP28.

UAE COP chair begins stressing countries need to commit at this year’s UN climate change talks Phasing out fossil fuel emissions, rather than phasing out the extraction and use of coal, oil and natural gas. This semantic shift mirrors the “climate” strategy of international oil and gas companies, relying on unproven technologies such as carbon capture and storage or direct air capture and offsetting technologies that theoretically reduce oil and gas emissions while extending the life of fossil fuels assets. These risky technological gambles are the industry’s attempt to ignore the scientific consensus to halt oil and gas expansion and phase out existing production fairly and quickly.

This position is also at odds with that of UN Secretary-General António Guterres call to action Countries halt new oil and gas production, halt expansion of existing reserves, and shift subsidies away from fossil fuels for a just energy transition.

As COP27 in Egypt closes, a coalition 80 countries Calls for the phasing out of fossil fuels to be included in the final joint statement. In March, Pacific island nations pledged to create a “Fossil Fuel Free Pacificand called on all countries to join them in a fair and equitable global phase-out of coal, oil and gas. Recently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reaffirmed that G7 countries New natural gas expansion must end to meet the 1.5ºC limit.

OCI research It has already been shown that the UAE is on track to become the third largest oil and gas production expander between 2023 and 2025, with Al Jaber’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) set to be the second largest company – a disruption This strengthens the credibility of global climate negotiations and shows that civil society concerns about the UAE imposing its own fossil fuel interests on those of the UNFCCC process are justified.

International Energy Agency and IPCC Scenarios demonstrate that phasing out fossil fuels must be at the heart of any science-based strategy to avoid warming beyond 1.5ºC and prevent irreversible climate impacts. Scaling up renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency and equitably reducing fossil fuel demand are key to rapid and effective reductions in emissions.

Romain Iualalen, Global Policy Events Manager, Oil Change International:
“As we feared and expected, the UAE presidency of COP28 put the interests of the oil and gas industry above the climate process it was supposed to lead. Imposing a false vision of climate action that will only keep the fossil fuel economy alive for as long as possible at the dire price of a livable future. This is unprecedented and seriously threatens the credibility of the UN climate negotiations .

“The UAE’s recent statements on the need to address ‘fossil fuel emissions’ are baseless and transparent attempts to divert the debate away from the urgent need to end the expansion of fossil fuel production and phase out coal, oil and gas. The 80 countries that supported phasing out fossil fuels at last year’s COP should be outraged by these statements and by seeing the UN climate process being used to preserve the short-term bottom line of an industry that is driving the climate crisis.

“We need the UAE presidency to put aside the short-term interests of ADNOC and the oil and gas industry, and to carry out its mandate with integrity by negotiating with science-based negotiating methods commensurate with the actions needed to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis, and will With the need to phase out fossil fuels and massively increase renewable energy deployment at the heart of COP28 – we need governments around the world to demand the same.”