More than 130 lawmakers from the European Union and the United States have come together to call for the removal of Sultan Al Jaber, an oil executive, as the president of the upcoming COP28 climate talks. They have expressed concerns about the influence of fossil fuel companies on the negotiations in a joint letter addressed to the United Nations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and US President Joe Biden.
The appointment of Al Jaber, who leads the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, as the COP28 chief has been met with controversy from the outset. The lawmakers argue that having an oil company executive in a leadership position during the talks poses a risk of undermining the negotiations, especially considering Al Jaber’s company’s plans to significantly increase oil production, potentially exceeding the global warming limits established through the COP process.
The letter warns of the potential “undue influence” that fossil fuel companies may exert on the negotiations, which are scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) later this year. The lawmakers state that the decision to appoint an oil company executive as the president of COP28, especially one whose company plans to increase oil production by 7.6 billion barrels, the fifth largest increase in the world, risks undermining the negotiations.
The lawmakers stress the need to limit corporate influence on climate negotiations and propose concrete steps to address this issue during the upcoming technical UN climate talks in Bonn. The letter has been signed by 99 EU lawmakers and 34 US lawmakers, including members of Congress and prominent senators such as Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Sheldon Whitehouse.
While EU and US leaders have defended Al Jaber’s appointment, stating that he is well-suited for the role, the lawmakers’ letter adds weight to the campaign calling for his replacement. The letter highlights the significance of the COP28 summit and its potential impact on billions of people, emphasizing the need to address the climate crisis and prevent private interests from interfering in politics.
This is not the first attempt to remove Al Jaber from his position. In January, more than two dozen US lawmakers urged climate envoy John Kerry to influence the UAE to replace Al Jaber as the COP28 chief. In February, EU green lawmakers also expressed similar concerns in a letter to the Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change.
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