The head of the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company has been named president of this year’s COP28 climate talks, promising a “pragmatic” approach to tackling global warming.
Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, who heads the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), will be the first chief executive to take the role at the UN summit, said a statement released on Thursday by the official WAM news agency. Usually the position is filled by a minister or civil servant from the host country.
“We will bring a pragmatic, realistic and solutions-oriented approach that delivers transformative progress for climate and for low carbon economic growth,” Jaber said in the statement.
“I sincerely believe that climate action today is an immense economic opportunity for investment in sustainable growth. Finance is the key that can unlock climate action.”
COP27, held in Egypt in November, concluded with the adoption of a hotly contested text on aid to poor countries affected by climate change, but failed to set new ambitions for lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
The next meeting, COP28, will take place in Dubai, the business, trade and tourism hub of the UAE, from Nov 30 to Dec 12.
