Briefings to help COP president advance business interests heighten concerns about summit’s outcome

Reacting to reports that Sultan Al Jaber, the president-designate of COP28, who is also the chief executive of ADNOC, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) state oil and gas company, was briefed to advance the interests of the businesses he leads before dozens of bilateral meetings about the climate summit, Amnesty International’s Climate Advisor Ann Harrison said:

“Sultan Al Jaber claims his inside knowledge of the fossil fuel industry qualifies him to lead a crucial climate summit but it looks ever more like a fox is guarding the hen house. The appointment of the chief executive of one of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies to lead COP28 was always a brazen conflict of interests which undermines the meeting’s ability to reach the outcome we desperately need.

“Amnesty International has repeatedly warned it was not possible for Sultan Al Jaber to be an honest broker at a summit where the rapid and equitable phasing-out of fossil fuels to avert further trashing the climate and a just transition to renewable energy must be the priority. The stakes are huge, with our world heating at an unprecedented rate, many are already suffering, and the rights of billions of people are at stake.

“We are already experiencing a climate and human rights catastrophe caused by fossil fuels, yet since Sultan Al Jaber was made the COP28 president-designate in January, ADNOC has unveiled ambitious expansion plans, entirely incompatible with protecting the climate and safeguarding people’s rights to a safe andclean, healthy and sustainable environment.

“Our calls on Sultan Al Jaber to step down from his role at ADNOC if he wishes to lead a successful summit remain valid. Documents suggesting he was briefed to advance business interests in COP meetings only fuel our concerns that COP28 has been comprehensively captured by the fossil fuel lobby to serve its vested interests that put the whole of humanity at risk.”

Background

ADNOC is among the ten largest producers of oil and gas in the world. According to documents obtained by the Centre for Climate Reporting, Sultan Al Jaber was briefed to advance the interest of ADNOC and Masdar, another state-owned energy company focused on renewables and hydrogen. It was previously reported that ADNOC staff were seconded to the COP28 organizing team in the UAE, and COP28 communications were reportedly routed through ADNOC computer servers.

COP28 runs from 30 November to 12 December and brings together more than 190 states and other parties to address the climate crisis. Amnesty International has published a formal advocacy briefing for COP28. Amnesty International’s Secretary-General Agnès Callamard will attend COP28 from 1 to 6 December as part of a Amnesty International delegation which will be present throughout the event.