The remarks by Sultan Ahmed al Jaber, the United Arab Emirate’s designated leader of the summit in Dubai, resurfaced on Sunday, sparking a backlash from some experts.
During an online event alongside former Irish president Mary Robinson last month, Mr Jaber insisted a phase-out of oil would not allow sustainable development “unless you want to take the world back into caves”.
Former US vice president Al Gore said of the UAE: “They are abusing the public’s trust by naming the CEO of one of the largest and least responsible oil companies in the world as head of the Cop.”
Mr Jaber’s appointment has been controversial from the start with the sultan coming under scrutiny after the BBC revealed that the UAE planned to use its role as Cop28 host to strike oil and gas deals.
Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the UN, declared on the second day of the summit: “The science is clear: the 1.5C limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels.
On the opening of the climate summit, he said: “Let history reflect the fact that this is the presidency that made a bold choice to proactively engage with oil and gas companies.”
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