CSOs Kick as Sultan Al Jaber is Appointed to Chair United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

On Jan 11, Sultan Al Jaber, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), one of the world’s largest oil producers, was named as president of the upcoming round of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) global negotiations (COP28) happening in November. Shockingly, world governments and politicians have taken to the traditional media and social media to welcome this news. 

But appointing the head executive of one of the top fifteen corporations that is most responsible for global emissions to oversee the world’s response to the climate crisis is not a cause for celebration. No COP overseen by a fossil fuel executive can be seen as legitimate. 

Ahead of COP27 last November, more than 450 organizations united in demanding an end to Big Polluter’s stranglehold of climate policy. We are now faced with another critical moment where our voices must be heard, said Zukiswa White, a member of the coalision of NGOs advocating for climate justice.