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The Emirati president of the UN climate talks reiterated his faith in climate science on Monday, a day after a leaked video showed him questioning the scientific consensus that a fossil fuel phase-out is necessary to curb global warming.
“We’re here because we very much believe and respect the science,” said COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber, who also heads the state-run oil giant, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, when asked about the video comments. “Everything this presidency has been working on is focused on and centered around the science.”
He also acknowledged that global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by 43% by 2030 as part of efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times.
‘No science’ behind fossil fuel phase-out: al-Jaber
On Sunday, the nonprofit Centre for Climate Reporting and The Guardian newspaper reported that al-Jaber said in a video conference with UN representatives in November there was “no science” to prove it is necessary to phase out fossil fuels in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change.
“I am factual and I respect the science, and there is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says that the phase-out of fossil fuels is what’s going to achieve 1.5 [degrees],” he said at the SHE Changes Climate online conference on November 21, calling such discussion “alarmist.”
Al-Jaber also reportedly claimed that development without the use of fossil energy was not possible “if you don’t want to catapult the world into the Stone Age.”
Report alleges UAE planned to use COP28 to strike oil deals
Ahead of the annual climate talks, which run from November 30 to December 12, the COP28 president also denied a BBC report citing briefing documents that alleged the UAE planned to use the summit to strike oil and gas deals with 15 nations.
“These allegations are false, not true, incorrect and not accurate,” said al-Jaber at a press conference on November 29, calling them “an attempt to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency.”
“So please for once, respect who we are, respect what we have achieved over the years and respect the fact that we have been clear open and clean and honest and transparent on how we want to conduct this COP process.”
cmk/fb (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
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