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UAE: Appointment of oil giant ADNOC CEO to COP28 presidency raises alarm among environmental activists; ADNOC did not respond
In January 2023 reports of the anticipated appointment of the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Sultan Al Jaber, to the presidency for COP 28 raised widespread civil society concern. In light of Al Jaber's role in the oil industry, as well as his positions as UAE climate envoy and Ministers for industry and advanced technology, organisations including Climate Action Network International and Global Witness have criticised the appointment and called for Mr Al Jaber to step down from his role as CEO of ADNOC.
[If Al Jaber is appointed president of Cop28, it will be] imperative for the world to be reassured that he will step down from his role as the CEO of Adnoc. He cannot preside over a process that is tasked to address the climate crisis with such a conflict of interest, heading an industry that is responsible for the crisis itself. If he does not step down as CEO, it will be tantamount to a full-scale capture of the UN climate talks by a petrostate national oil company and its associated fossil fuel lobbyists.Tasneem Essop, the executive director of Climate Action Network International
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited ADNOC to respond to the concerns; it did not.