John Kerry defends oil-rich UAE hosting UN climate talks

US climate envoy John Kerry has defended the United Arab Emirates against “unfair” criticism of its role as the host of this year’s COP28 conference in Dubai, saying it was important to bring oil-producing nations into the UN environment talks.

Climate campaigners have been increasingly critical of the growing influence of the global fossil fuel industry on the annual UN climate conference. Last year’s summit in Egypt ended in disappointment as fossil fuel producing nations including Saudi Arabia blocked a push by others, notably the US and EU, to include a promise to phase down all fossil fuels in the final deal.

But Kerry, speaking to the Financial Times, said the UAE presented an opportunity to have the COP conference hosted by a country that “understands the industry, understands the needs and what’s do-able and what’s not, and [is] helping to shape the response of the planet”.

“I think it’s unfair to blame what may or may not happen at this point on an oil and gas producing country like the UAE, which has already taken enormous steps, historically, to be on the forefront of the transition,” said Kerry.

The UAE’s national emissions reduction target is rated as “highly insufficient” by research group Climate Action Tracker.

Middle Eastern oil and gas-producing nations, including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have among the highest carbon emissions per capita globally, surpassing other big emitters including the US, China and Russia, according to the Oxford-based research group Our World In Data.

Egypt last year invited oil and gas companies to take part in the official programme of the UN conference for the first time in its history, prompting a backlash from green groups who argue that polluters should not be given a platform at the conference.

But Kerry said it was “obviously important” for oil and gas companies “to come to the table and be part of the solution and not part of the problem”.

“I think it’s not fair to say automatically that [the UAE] can’t be helpful in bringing other oil and gas entities to the table that haven’t been there before, or helping to set out an agenda with credibility that could actually change this dynamic,” Kerry added. “So the proof will be in the pudding.”

Earlier this year, the UAE appointed Sultan al-Jaber, the head of Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company, as president of the COP28 summit, which is scheduled to be held in Dubai at the end of November.

UAE officials pointed to Jaber’s pivotal role in guiding the country’s early adoption of renewable energy, part of a broader diversification process to reduce the economy’s dependence on oil revenues. In 2006, he launched Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s clean energy company that is on track to become the second-largest renewable investor in the world by 2030.