The new head of the next critical UN climate talks is calling for rapid scale-up of renewable energy while backing the use of the “least carbon-intensive oil and gas,” Ben writes.
Driving the news: Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, who leads UAE oil giant Adnoc and is the nation’s climate envoy, said in Abu Dhabi Saturday that the world is “way off track” on meeting its climate goals.
His speeches at an Atlantic Council conference and an International Renewable Energy Agency summit backed UAE’s record on renewable power investment and called for a tripling of global capacity over 7 years.
Why it matters: They were his first public remarks since being tapped as president of COP28, which starts in late November — a choice that has angered climate activists due to his oil ties.
He told the Atlantic Council event it should be a “practical COP” but also a “COP of action.”
The intrigue: Despite activists’ anger, al-Jaber has won diplomatic support from officials including U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, Germany’s climate minister and others.