By Isabel James

With the recent occurrence of COP28, there has been an uproar amongst climate scientists and the general public about the UAE's position and involvement in this matter.   

In November 2022, just before COP27, ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) announced a 150 billion USD investment plan to expand its oil and gas businesses in the next five years. On average, the UAE produces 3.2 million barrels of petroleum and liquids daily, with plans to double oil production by 2027. This announcement before COP27 sparked some controversy, and when Sultan al-Jaber was announced as the President of COP28, many asked for his removal. 

COP28 was held in the oil-rich location of the UAE, with ADNOC being in the world's 10 largest oil producers. COP events are focused on climate change and the importance of reducing emissions. However, many believed that the president, who is heavily affiliated with the oil industry, would use this event for his own personal interests. Unfortunately, those predictions seemed to be correct. 

The Centre for Climate Reporting (CCR) received leak documents containing materials prepared prior to COP28 to brief other nations. Sultan al-Jaber used his presidency as an opportunity to strike oil and gas deals with 15 nations, including the extraction of oil. Whilst he has denied this, there is also a multitude of evidence about bilateral agreements between the Sultan and representatives from 27 governments. This includes the UK, the US, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya. Graham Stuart, the Net Zero Minister, described Sultan al-Jaber as "an outstanding individual", but after evidence of collaborations being published, perhaps further investigations should take place.  

Not only has the UAE used COP28 for personal gains, but it also gained significant criticism due to not reporting methane emissions from the oil industry to the UN for nearly a decade. With the UAE being secretive about greenhouse gas emissions, and politicising COP28, many are concerned about where their priorities lie, in their pocket or the planet’s future.    

On the positive side, he urged nations at COP28 to continue to invest in funding for nations suffering from the impacts of warming and climate change, as well as promoting the need to work in collaboration with others to triple renewable power and double energy efficiency. 

Whilst the UAE is dedicating itself to increasing renewable energy, they are also increasing unsustainable energy practices alongside this, and with the president of COP28 stating that the phase-out of fossil fuels would "take the world back into caves", it causes many to question possible greenwashing of the UAE’s development. Sultan al-Jaber is adamant that phasing out fossil fuels will cause the UAE to take a step back in sustainable development, but perhaps his lack of consideration for future generations will result in a much more long-term impact on the UAE’s economy.