UAE plotted to use COP28 to push for oil and gas deals, leaked notes show – POLITICO

The world’s prime local weather summit has turn out to be embroiled in a hypocrisy scandal, days earlier than the beginning of key talks.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) schemed to make use of its place as host nation of the approaching COP28 United Nations local weather talks to debate oil and fuel offers with greater than a dozen international locations, leaked paperwork present.

Briefing notes ready by the UAE’s COP28 group for conferences with international governments in the course of the summit, which begins Thursday in Dubai, embrace speaking factors from the Emirati state oil and renewable vitality firms, in keeping with paperwork printed Monday by the Centre for Local weather Reporting.

Germany, for instance, is to be instructed that the Abu Dhabi Nationwide Oil Firm (ADNOC) — whose CEO, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, is COP28’s president — “stand[s] able to develop LNG provides to Germany.”

The briefing notes for China say that ADNOC is “keen to collectively consider worldwide LNG alternatives (Mozambique, Canada, and Australia).”

Additionally they suggest telling oil-rich giants Saudi Arabia and Venezuela that “there isn’t a battle between sustainable improvement of any nation’s pure sources and its dedication to local weather change.”

With COP28 simply days away, the leaked paperwork have forged a shadow over the beginning of the essential discussion board.

Zakia Khattabi, Belgium’s local weather minister, instructed POLITICO: “If confirmed, these information stories add to the present issues relating to the COP28 presidency. The credibility of the U.N. local weather negotiations is important and is at stake right here.”

The paperwork additionally sparked an outcry from local weather NGOs.

In a assertion, Greenpeace’s Coverage Coordinator Kaisa Kosonen mentioned, “if the allegations are true, that is completely unacceptable and an actual scandal.”

“The local weather summit chief must be targeted on advancing local weather options impartially, not backroom offers which are fuelling the disaster,” Kosonen mentioned.

The paperwork additionally embrace estimates of ADNOC’s business pursuits within the focused international locations, in addition to an overview of vitality infrastructure tasks led by Masdar, the UAE’s state renewable vitality firm.

ADNOC’s enterprise ties with China, for instance, are valued at $15 billion over the previous yr, whereas these with the UK are price $4 billion and the Netherlands’ stand at $2 billion.

Yearly, the nation internet hosting COP appoints a president to guide negotiations between international locations. The president meets international dignitaries and is predicted to “rais[e] ambition to deal with local weather change internationally,” in keeping with the U.N.

Residence to a few of the largest oil reserves on this planet, the UAE has attracted criticism for appointing al-Jaber as COP president despite his function as chief of the nation’s nationwide oil firm. Al-Jaber can also be chairman of the board of administrators of the nationwide renewable vitality firm.

In an announcement, a COP28 spokesperson mentioned: “The paperwork referred to within the BBC article are inaccurate and weren’t utilized by COP28 in conferences. This can be very disappointing to see the BBC use unverified paperwork of their reporting.”

This text has been up to date to make clear Ahmed al-Jaber’s function on the nationwide renewable vitality firm and so as to add feedback fro, COP28 and Greenpeace.

Barbara Moens contributed reporting.