The power of lobbying
The signatories criticize that the appointment of Al Jaber was celebrated from the United States, the European Union and even the UN, and stress that his election reflects the great influence that the big polluters continue to have on climate policy.
“In addition, it points to a deeper problem: fossil fuel interests have encroached on the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and threaten its legitimacy.”
In his opinion, no COP overseen by a fossil fuel company executive can be considered legitimate and there can be no longer “big polluters writing the rules”, according to the charge, open to new subscriptions.
Therefore, they urge the UNFCCC to establish an Accountability Framework that includes a policy that ends conflict of interest once and for all, as well as that no big polluters finance climate action.
Oil and gas lobbyists were numerous at COP27 organized last November in Egypt, and in fact they were 25% more than at the previous meeting in Glasgow, according to environmental associations.
The largest contingent of lobbyists were precisely the Emiratis, followed by the Russians.
The COP27 in Egypt allowed the adoption of a resolution that provides for the creation of a fund to cover the damages and losses suffered by the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and historically least responsible for it.
However, COP27 did not set more ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Similarly, no objective was set for the output of fossil fuels.
The United Arab Emirates, one of the world’s largest oil exporters, advocates a phased out of hydrocarbons and has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The country has experienced rapid economic growth since the 1970s, thanks to oil, but its economy has gradually diversified.
Climate change is a sensitive issue in the Gulf countries, where temperatures often touch 50 degrees in summer.
With information from AFP and EFE
