(Paris) Five days before the opening of COP28 in Dubai, its president, the Emirati Sultan Al Jaber, defended Saturday in an interview with AFP the massive presence of industrialists and businesses at this new conference on climate, insisting that the private sector was essential to slowing down greenhouse gas emissions.
“Everyone must be part of the process, everyone must take responsibility and be held accountable,” said Sultan Al Jaber. “This includes all industries, particularly high-emitting industries such as aviation, transport, aluminum, cement, steel as well as the oil and gas industry,” he insisted.
COP28, from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, promises to be record-breaking in terms of participation, with more than 70,000 participants expected, including Pope Francis.
A thousand leaders of businesses and philanthropic organizations are registered for a meeting which will be held over two days in parallel with the summit of heads of state and government, the 1er and December 2.
Around twenty commitments should be announced by companies on this occasion, according to its organizer Badr Jafar.
Since his appointment in January as head of COP28, Sultan Al Jaber has tirelessly demonstrated his desire to involve the private sector in financing, alongside States, the energy transition or the adaptation of countries vulnerable to global warming. climatic.
“We must encourage financing from the private sector. We must help reduce risks for private capital. We must provide the necessary assurances and hedging mechanisms to protect, encourage and incentivize the private sector to join efforts to resolve climate finance challenges,” he detailed.
He was questioned about the appeal launched by American and European parliamentarians to the UN in favor of the establishment of new transparency rules on the participation of companies in the COPs.
According to Sultan Al Jaber, the challenge is of such magnitude that it requires a “global and inclusive approach”, involving States and private actors.
“I will ask everyone and every industry to assume their responsibilities and be held accountable in order to achieve the goal of 1.5°C” of global warming compared to the pre-industrial period, he said. -he said. This limit is the most ambitious set by the Paris agreement in 2015, from which the 195 member countries will have to draw the first official assessment by consensus during this COP28.