Greater than 100 US and EU lawmakers appealed to the leaders of their nations and the United Nations to oust oil government Sultan Al Jaber as head of this yr’s COP28 local weather summit.
The politicians additionally requested that additional steps be taken to restrict the affect of fossil-fuel firms on the talks to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates on the finish of the yr. The appointment of Al Jaber, who runs state-owned Abu Dhabi Nationwide Oil Co., to steer a convention whose objective is to extend world motion to chop carbon emissions, has been controversial from the beginning.
The letter was addressed to US President Joe Biden, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, UN Secretary Common Antonio Guterres and UN’s local weather chief Simon Stiell. It was signed by 99 EU and 34 US lawmakers.
“For billions of individuals, the result of COP28 and following worldwide local weather negotiations will make the distinction between life and loss of life, chaos and solidarity,” mentioned Manon Aubry, a member of the European Parliament and one of many signatories. “Company greed and lobbyists’ lies have led us into this local weather disaster. We should forestall personal pursuits from interfering in politics and regain possession of our future.”
This isn’t the primary concerted effort to take away Al Jaber. In January, greater than two dozen US lawmakers referred to as on the nation’s local weather envoy John Kerry to use diplomatic strain on the UAE to interchange him as COP28 chief. In February, inexperienced EU lawmakers additionally made the identical case in a letter addressed to UN’s Stiell.
Below Al Jaber, Adnoc is about to spice up oil and gasoline manufacturing, which is one thing the Worldwide Vitality Company and local weather scientists agree might trigger the world to blow previous limits for world warming set by way of the COP course of. Al Jaber can also be chairman of state-owned renewable vitality firm Masdar.
In response to the letter, the organizers of COP28 have given help to Al Jaber. “We consider that Dr. Sultan’s expertise as an engineer, working throughout the vitality spectrum, coupled along with his expertise as a senior world trade chief, are belongings that may assist drive the UAE’s transformative strategy to COP28,” a spokesperson mentioned in an e-mailed assertion.
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