by DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber is addressing his claim that there is “no science” behind calls to phase out fossil fuels – a claim that many believe will determine success United Nations climate in the end. conference.
In comments first reported by The Guardian on Sunday and the investigative journalism organization, the Center for Climate Reporting, Al-Jaber, the head of the UAE’s climate, suggested that the end of fossil fuel would not allow sustainable development “unless you want the world to take back. into the caves.”
Scientists and advocates described the remarks, made by Al-Jaber during a live online event on November 21, as “farcical,” “beyond surprise” and verging on climate denial.
In a post on social media, University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann did accused Al-Jaber called the COP28 talks “a complete mockery” and urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to speak out on the issue.
Al-Jaber was seen as a controversial choice to lead the COP28 talks in Dubai since he also works as the head of the state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Al-Jaber said his team strongly believes in and respects science. He added that he was surprised by the “continuous and repeated attempts to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency”.
Separately, a spokesperson for COP28 told CNBC that Al-Jaber was “relentless” in saying that keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius requires action across a number of areas and sectors.
“It is clear to the president of the COP that it is inevitable that we must gradually reduce fossil fuels and that we must keep within 1.5°C. We are not sure what this story was revealing. It’s nothing but breaking news.”
It is widely recognized that the temperature threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) is critical because more chances become greater than this level of so-called tipping points. Tipping points are thresholds where small changes can lead to major changes in the Earth’s entire life support system.
Looking ahead, “the COP president is focused on working with parties to deliver a plan that will provide maximum transition and minimum disruption for everyone in the world,” the spokesperson said. “He has repeatedly stated our position on fossil fuels and invited all parties to work together and find solutions that can achieve alignment, common ground and consensus.”
The spokesperson added that the COP28 host was “thrilled with the progress” made so far and with the decision on the global stocktaking. “Attempts to undermine this will not weaken our resolve,” they said.
‘Very basic physics’
The shock of Al-Jaber’s comments comes as COP28 prepares for the fight over the future of the fossil fuel rules.
For nearly three decades, policymakers representing nearly 200 countries at the annual UN climate conference have sought to address the main driver of the climate crisis: the burning of coal, oil and gas.
The language of the final agreement, which is expected by the end of the conference on or around December 12, will be closely watched. A “gradual” commitment would likely require a transition away from fossil fuels until their use is phased out, and a reduction in their use could be represented by a “step down” — but not a complete end .
There is also an ongoing debate over whether agreement should focus on “depleting” fossil fuels, which are captured and stored with carbon capture and storage technologies, or “undepleting” fossil fuels, which are largely understood to be produced and used without significant reductions in. amount of greenhouse gases emitted.
“If we fail to phase out fossil fuels we will not succeed in climate mitigation,” Petteri Taalas, secretary general of the UN’s World Meteorological Organization, told CNBC in Dubai.
Asked to respond to Al-Jaber’s comments, Taalas said there is “very clear science” behind the calls for a fossil fuel phase-out.
“This effect of carbon dioxide on atmospheric warming, that’s very basic physics … There’s no question about that.”
US climate envoy John Kerry was asked to weigh in on Al-Jaber’s comments in an interview with CNBC’s Tania Bryer on Sunday. Kerry replied, “That’s not the argument.”
“The G7 countries voted to phase out unmitigated fossil fuel emissions and the objective of the science is to keep 1.5 degrees as your North Star,” Kerry said.
“Every decision we make should be focused on saying, ‘Does this advance the 1.5 degrees or is it going to be more destructive and take us in the wrong direction?'”
Separately, former US Vice President Al Gore said on Sunday that the UAE’s position as host of COP28 was an abuse of public trust.
“They are abusing the public trust by naming the CEO of one of the largest and least responsible oil companies in the world as the head of the COP,” Gore said, according to Reuters.
When Al-Jaber was appointed COP28 president earlier this year, his office said he would play a “crucial role” in building consensus “and driving ambitious climate outcomes.”
A spokesman for Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., which recently became the first among its peers to bring forward its net-zero ambition to 2045, said: “All the current energy transition scenarios show that, with including the IEA, that there will be a need for some level of oil and gas in the future.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
