‘Outrageous conflict of interest’: UAE faces backlash as it names oil chief to head COP28 climate talks

Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the head of the UAE’s national oil company was named president of this year’s COP28 climate talks, prompting fierce criticism

Activists were quick to criticise his appointment, with one climate advocate calling it an ‘outrageous conflict of interest’

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Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the head of the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company was named as president of this year’s COP28 climate talks. Photo: AFP/File

Published: 8:38pm, 12 Jan 2023

The head of the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company was named on Thursday as president of this year’s COP28 climate talks, prompting fierce criticism from environmental activists.

Sultan al-Jaber, chief executive of the UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), will be the first CEO to take the role at the UN summit, said a statement carried by the official WAM news agency.

“I sincerely believe that climate action today is an immense economic opportunity for investment in sustainable growth,” he was quoted as saying, promising a “pragmatic” approach.

Jaber, the UAE’s minister of industry, is also the Gulf state’s special envoy for climate change and has taken part in more than 10 COP meetings.

This appointment goes beyond putting the fox in charge of the henhouse

Teresa Anderson, ActionAid

He is CEO of Masdar, the UAE’s renewable energy company, and has “played a key role in shaping the country’s clean energy path”, the statement said.

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