Host of climate summit again under fire after statements about phasing out fossil fuels

It was known that he is not in favor of a rapid reduction in oil and gas production, but statements in a recent interview have once again discredited the chairman of the Dubai climate summit, Sultan Al-Jabr.

In the conversation he says that there is “no scenario in which stopping oil and gas limits warming to 1.5 degrees”. That would go against the latest science insights from the UN, among others. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, called the statements “very worrying” and “tending towards climate denial”. But according to Al-Jabr, he is misunderstood.

Ever since it became known that Al-Jabr would lead the summit, there has been criticism and fear of a conflict of interest. He is also head of the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company, ADNOC, a company that extracts millions of barrels of crude oil every day and plans to expand even more in the future.

“It’s like putting Count Dracula in charge of a blood bank,” is one of the frequently heard characterizations. Revelations of the BBC about possible oil deals during the preparatory consultations for the summit have further increased the distrust.

Al-Jabr made the controversial statements in a Zoom interview with Mary Robinson, former Prime Minister of Ireland, among others. She asks him about ADNOC’s expansion plans and how they can be reconciled with science.

Clearly irritated, he answers that in his opinion there are no scientific facts that show that a quick stop with oil and gas will help limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. When she stands her ground, he says: “Sustainable socio-economic development is not possible without fossil fuels, unless you want us to have to live in caves again.”

Later in the interview he does say that stopping fossil fuels is ultimately inevitable and that he also wants warming to remain below 1.5 degrees. “That’s what I focus on,” Al-Jabr said.

In an initial response to the article in the British newspaper The Guardian, the spokesperson for the top climate organization said that Al-Jabr does not respond to attempts to smear him. He is not a climate denier and was only referring to the fact that there is also a role for fossil companies in the scenarios of the IPCC climate panel, albeit a small one.

Al-Jabr is also a great advocate of CO2 storage, whereby industry can continue to emit CO2 as long as it is captured and put underground.

MEP Bas Eickhout is also critical of Al-Jabr’s role so far. According to him, the chairman seems satisfied with the results achieved so far, including the agreements on the climate damage fund and tripling of sustainable energy. However, these are necessary steps to now arrive at the main theme: the end of fossils, says Eickhout.

“It is time for Al-Jaber to take off his oil cap as CEO of his oil company and, as a real climate summit chairman, make this climate summit a necessary success. Science makes it clear that we need to talk about the end of fossil fuels if we want to prevent the worst of global warming. .”