by B. R. GOWANI
over 2 dozen US lawmakers wrote a letter to US climate envoy John Kerry,
“Having a fossil fuel champion in charge of the world’s most important climate negotiations would be like having the CEO of a cigarette conglomerate in charge of global tobacco policy. It risks undermining the very essence of what is trying to be accomplished.”
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, President, COP28 UAE, is the “fossil fuel champion”
he’s CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)
(Abu Dhabi is the capital city of UAE (United Arab Emirates)
at SHE Changes Climate gathering, Mary Robinson said:
“We’re in an absolute crisis that is hurting women and children more than anyone … and it’s because we have not yet committed to phasing out fossil fuel. That is the one decision that Cop28 can take and in many ways, because you’re head of Adnoc, you could actually take it with more credibility.”
Al Jaber’s true self was out in the open:
“I accepted to come to this meeting to have a sober and mature conversation. I’m not in any way signing up to any discussion that is alarmist. There is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says that the phase-out of fossil fuel is what’s going to achieve 1.5C.”
Robinson countered:
“I read that your company is investing in a lot more fossil fuel in the future.”
by now, Al Jaber had lost his composure:
“You’re reading your own media, which is biased and wrong. I am telling you I am the man in charge.”
“Please help me, show me the roadmap for a phase-out of fossil fuel that will allow for sustainable socioeconomic development, unless you want to take the world back into caves.”
“I don’t think [you] will be able to help solve the climate problem by pointing fingers or contributing to the polarisation and the divide that is already happening in the world. Show me the solutions. Stop the pointing of fingers. Stop it.”
Robinson is Ireland’s ex Pres & ex UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
leaked documents obtained by the Centre for Climate Reporting & BBC says
UAE planned to cut gas and oil deal with several countries
when the motive is commercial, then the climate crisis loses importance
not much could be expected from the COP28 UNFCCC Climate Conference
in a way, indirectly, Al Jaber forewarned that not much will be enforced
“An agreement is only as good as its implementation. This historic consensus is only the beginning of the road.”
if the agreed upon things are not carried out, who’s there to question
Sonali Kolhatkar got it right when she wrote
“the fox is in charge of the henhouse”
*(the United States also contributes to the climate crisis
on carbon footprint of US militry bases, author David Vine wrote a book
Base Nation: How US Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World
Vine says
“It’s the elephant in the room.” “It operates with this kind of cloak of invisibility despite having a long track record of very serious damage.”
US Pentagon’s greenhouse gas emissions is more than Sweden or Portugal)
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com