COP28 in Dubai: scientists organize their own summit in protest

Since Thursday, November 30 in the morning, they have been flocking to the site of the COP28 to talk about the future of the planet. 70,000 participants, including 180 heads of state and government, are expected in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). However, the choice of the United Arab Emirates is debated. The country is the world’s seventh largest oil producer. The president of this COPSultan Ahmed al-Jaberis himself at the head of the country’s main hydrocarbon company.

“A country which essentially depends on the sale of fossil fuels”

Thousands of kilometers from Dubai, scientists decided to organize a counter-summit to protest. Jerome Santoliniresearcher in life sciences and member of Scientifiques en Rébellion, assures: “A COP, normally, it should serve only one purpose: to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. “It’s surprising to do so in a country that essentially depends on the sale of these fossil fuels.” For these scientists, the conference is doomed to failure and will lead to nothing concrete. Others, on the contrary, think that it allows oil consumption to be put at the heart of the debate.

Among our sources

Production Gap Report 2023, UN

François Gemenne

Scientists in Rebellion

Non-exhaustive list