UAE oil giant’s two missions: a greener image and ‘accelerated growth’

The company, whose CEO will lead the upcoming U.N. climate summit, is pledging lofty goals for cutting pollution. But it has a “high” probability of failing to meet them, a document obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News says.

November 10, 2023

The oil and gas executive helming the next United Nations climate summit warned world leaders in September that global warming is “our common enemy” — and that “we are running short on time” to defeat it.

Weeks afterward, Sultan al-Jaber told his fellow petroleum producers that “for too long, this industry has been viewed as part of the problem.” Slashing climate pollution, he said later at an Arctic gathering in Iceland, “is a massive task that will require nothing short of global unity.”

But the actions and plans of the United Arab Emirates petroleum company that al-Jaber heads are raising questions about his agenda as he prepares to lead a global debate about turning away from fossil fuels.

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Some al-Jaber critics said the newest revelations only confirm their misgivings about having the top oil executive of a petro-state run the climate talks.

“This is just the height of hypocrisy — the UAE presiding over a climate summit,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said after E&E News described the contents of the document to him. (It’s unclear whether al-Jaber reviewed or had any direct role in creating the document.)

Huffman and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) led a January letter to Kerry, signed by 27 members of Congress, that urged al-Jaber’s removal as the summit’s president. A later note critical of al-Jaber that was addressed to President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.N. leaders attracted 133 signatures from U.S. and European lawmakers.

“Shame on the U.N. and everyone else for allowing this to happen,” Huffman said. “Shame on the United States for not doing more to prevent it.”

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By:  Corbin Hiar
Source: Politico