Much has been said about the obvious conflicts of interest inherent in an oil executive’s presiding over the annual international climate negotiations, known as the Conference of the Parties, or COP, the next of which, COP28, begins next month. It bears repeating: Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the head of Adnoc, the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company, has been tapped to lead the summit.
Despite claiming adamantly that his role as the head of an oil company would not adversely affect his ability to lead international climate negotiations, since the announcement of his presidency Al Jaber has consistently had Adnoc staff working directly on COP28 planning. Adnoc staffers have been tasked with supporting the U.A.E.’s hosting activities and public relations for the summit, while at least two recent staffers were tapped as summit negotiators as soon as they left their positions at Adnoc.
