(Abu Dhabi) The president of COP28, boss of a Gulf oil giant, called on Saturday to “focus” on reducing CO2 emissions.2 without attacking “progress”, that is to say the energy industry, describing the fight against climate change as “central”.
Sultan al-Jaber, CEO of ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company), the national oil company of the United Arab Emirates, was named president of the UN climate conference scheduled for this year in the wealthy Gulf state on Thursday. , sparking strong criticism among conservationists.
“We are at a historic turning point. Growth with lower CO emissions2 is the future,” said Sultan al-Jaber, also his country’s industry minister.
“We are working with the energy industry to accelerate decarbonization by reducing methane and developing hydrogen,” he added at an energy forum in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates. “Let’s continue to focus on curbing emissions, not progress.”
With a projected increase in the world’s population, and the increased demand for energy it implies, “as long as the world uses hydrocarbons, we must ensure that they are as low in carbon intensity as possible”, said the Emirati official.
Heavyweight in CO emissions2oil companies sometimes put forward the possibility of reducing their carbon footprint without jeopardizing the production of black gold.
In addition to his country’s special envoy for climate change, Sultan al-Jaber sought to be reassuring in the face of the skepticism aroused by his appointment as president of COP28, which will be held in November and December in Dubai, the most influential emirate in the world. country.
“The United Arab Emirates approaches this task with humility, a strong sense of responsibility and a great sense of urgency”, he assured, describing the fight against climate change as “central” for his country, risking be particularly affected, like the whole very hot region of the Gulf, rich in hydrocarbons.
Sultan al-Jaber is also the head of Masdar, the Emirati renewable energy company.