The president of Cop28, Sultan Al Jaber [pictured], has claimed there is “no science” indicating that a phase-out of fossil fuels is needed to restrict global heating to 1.5C, the Guardian and the Centre for Climate Reporting can reveal.
Al Jaber also said a phase-out of fossil fuels would not allow sustainable development “unless you want to take the world back into caves.” [emphasis, links added]
The comments were “incredibly concerning” and “verging on climate denial”, scientists said, and they were at odds with the position of the UN secretary general, António Guterres.
Al Jaber made the comments in ill-tempered responses to questions from Mary Robinson, the chair of the Elders group and a former UN special envoy for climate change, during a live online event on 21 November.
As well as running Cop28 in Dubai, Al Jaber is also the chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company, Adnoc, which many observers see as a serious conflict of interest.
More than 100 countries already support a phase-out of fossil fuels and whether the final Cop28 agreement calls for this or uses weaker language such as “phase-down” is one of the most fiercely fought issues at the summit and may be the key determinant of its success. …
Al Jaber spoke with Robinson at a She Changes Climate event. Robinson said: “We’re in an absolute crisis that is hurting women and children more than anyone … and it’s because we have not yet committed to phasing out fossil fuel. That is the one decision that Cop28 can take and in many ways, because you’re head of Adnoc, you could take it with more credibility.”
Al Jaber said: “I accepted to come to this meeting to have a sober and mature conversation. I’m not in any way signing up to any discussion that is alarmist. There is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says that the phase-out of fossil fuel is what’s going to achieve 1.5C.”
Robinson challenged him further, saying: “I read that your company is investing in a lot more fossil fuel in the future.” Al Jaber responded: “You’re reading your own media, which is biased and wrong. I am telling you I am the man in charge.”
Al Jaber then said: “Please help me, show me the roadmap for a phase-out of fossil fuel that will allow for sustainable socioeconomic development, unless you want to take the world back into caves.”
“I don’t think [you] will be able to help solve the climate problem by pointing fingers or contributing to the polarization and the divide that is already happening in the world. Show me the solutions. Stop the pointing of fingers. Stop it,” Al Jaber said.
h/t Runar O.
Read full post at The Guardian
Lets see them get snowed in and unable to go anywhere because the snow is too seep and they threw away their snow shovels junked their cat and took up cycling but its now too deep for the idiots to leave their homes
Sure, Al Jaber’s comments are a conflict of interest, but what he said is the truth. Would it be any different if what he said was stated by someone from the renewable’s industry (I’m joking of course) and the answer is no, because it’s the truth. It makes no difference who it is making statments that are factual and that is the problem with discussing the climate change myth. The truth is rejected and anyone speaking the truth is called any one of a variety of nasty names. That is shool-yard behaviour.
I’m able to say this, having worked for ExxonMobil for 35 years, that mankind cannot maintain the standard of living that’s enjoyed today by billions of people if hydrocarbons are to be banded or oil production shut down. That is the most ridiculous thing I can think of and I have no doubt it is not going to happen.
Ending all use of Fossil Fuels is totally irresponsible and based upon Politics and Junk Science. Biden the Blunder and the mindless Eco-Freaks and their Gutter level Media Partners in Crime
I first read the headline yesterday, without the text of the confrontation. Robinson obviously is lying, we’re not in an absolute crisis. Al Saber is clear eyed and correct, green energy is not ready to replace petroleum. He has the high ground at COP28, and 70,000 attendees were revealed as the real deniers.
What a brave and intelligent man.