UAE: COP Presidency pushing "vision of false climate action" and oil & gas interests, says Oil Change Intl
"Oil and Gas Industry Captures UN Climate Process: UAE COP28 Presidency Undermines Climate Action,"
The UAE COP presidency started emphasizing the need for countries at this year’s U.N. climate change negotiations to commit to phase out fossil fuel emissions, as opposed to phasing out coal, oil, and gas extraction and use. This semantic shift, which mirrors the “climate” strategies of international oil and gas companies, relies on unproven technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage or Direct Air Capture as well as offsets to theoretically reduce the emissions from oil and gas while prolonging the lifetime of fossil fuel assets. These risky technological gambles are the industry’s attempt at ignoring the scientific consensus to end oil and gas expansion and phase out existing production, equitably and quickly.
This stance is also at odds with UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call to action for countries to cease new oil and gas production, stop expansion of existing reserves, and shift subsidies from fossil fuels to a just energy transition...
As we feared and expected, the UAE Presidency of COP28 is putting the interest of the oil and gas industry above those of the climate process it is supposed to shepherd. After capturing the COP Presidency, oil and gas interests are now trying to impose a vision of false climate action that only serves to keep the fossil fuel economy alive for as long as possible, at the dire cost of a liveable future. This is unprecedented and gravely threatens the credibility of the UN climate negotiations.Romain Ioualalen, Global Policy Campaigner Manager, Oil Change International