UAE aimed to use COP28 to strike oil deals, claims report

Due to its role as host of the COP28, the United Arab Emirates intended to take advantage of discussions with international governments to close fossil fuel deals.

Leaked documents that the BBC was able to get suggest that ADNOC, the state oil corporation of the United Arab Emirates, was “willing to jointly evaluate international LNG (liquefied natural gas) opportunities” in Mozambique, Canada, and Australia. These leaked “talking points” were prepared for a meeting with China.

The briefing notes were created by the UAE’s COP28 team for summit president Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber ahead of talks with other governments between July and October of this year. Journalists from the Centre for Climate Reporting (CCR) who collaborated with the British broadcaster were able to secure the leaked documents.

Notes prepared for briefings with Egypt, Germany, and Colombia indicated that ADNOC “stands ready” to assist each nation in pursuing fossil fuel projects.

According to the documents, the UAE had prepared talking points for discussions on business prospects for state-owned renewable energy company Masdar with 20 nations, including the US, UK, and Germany.

According to the BBC, “the obligation of impartiality” is the “cardinal principle” for hosts of the COP28 meeting, which gets underway on Thursday, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Concerns over fossil fuel interests’ influence at the negotiations in Dubai have been voiced by climate campaigners, who have brought up Jaber’s position as head of an oil business.

Pope Francis and King Charles III are among the 167 world leaders expected to attend COP28, which runs until December 12.

(With agency inputs)