Former UN climate chief slams COP28 presidency

Following on from last Friday’s post about the UAE’s presidency of COP28, the approach being pursued by them on behalf of the oil and gas industry has been criticised by Christiana Figueres, the former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Speaking on the Outrage + Optimism podcast she took aim at COP President Sultan al-Jabr’s speech at the 14th Petersberg Climate Dialogue, expressing concern about plans to keep fossil fuels as part of the global energy mix for the ‘foreseeable future’ and the UAE’s ability to take a neutral position as COP President. She added:

“What astonishes me is that the oil and gas industry makes apparently no effort to get on the right side of history. They’re just flaunting their profits in front of everyone without any sensitivity to the impact of that.”

“These unprecedented profits are not being put to the use of humanity. They are being put to the use of the industry and its shareholders – a very tiny little portion of humanity. I am actually outraged that that is the choice that they have been making.”