The United Arab Emirates is coming under increasing pressure to achieve ambitious results when it hosts the COP28 climate summit as extreme weather events ripple through the world.
Germany, Canada, Kenya, Vanuatu, Austria, Belgium and Malawi called on COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber to push for a global deal on phasing out the use of fossil fuels while ramping up renewables and energy efficiency. They also want assurances about sufficient climate finance for the poorest nations.
The demands, made in a letter published in the Financial Times, compared the level of change needed to that of the industrial revolution. There have been concerns in recent months about the outcome of the crucial summit after diplomats who were pushing for stronger action were left disappointed following a preparatory meeting last month. Al Jaber has himself faced criticism for his other role as chief of the UAE’s state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.
Read more: Climate Talks Ahead of COP28 Raise Concerns of Weak Outcome
“In the face of killer heat waves, raging wildfires and torrential floods, we must all do more, faster to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis,” the letter, signed by climate ministers, special envoys and the former President of Malawi, said. “COP28 summit in Dubai can be a success if, as COP president-designate Sultan Al Jaber says, the world unites and agrees to work together for the common good.”
Al Jaber is in Brussels Thursday for the Ministerial on Climate Action, a conference convened by the European Union, Canada and China to discuss cooperation on the issue. The COP28 presidency has been criticized for not yet fully outlining its vision, although Al Jaber has said that a phase down of unabated fossil fuels is “inevitable.”
