Every end of the year, the same refrain: “A COP for nothing”, “all we do is talk, talk, talk”. Not to mention the now inevitable “greenwashing” lawsuits. In other words, the United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP) no longer generate the enthusiasm they once did. And the revelations of our colleagues from the BBC just three days before the opening of the COP28 which is being held in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, risks making more than one person jump.
And for good reason, according to information published on the British media site this Monday, November 27, the organizers of COP28 would have taken advantage of the event to conclude deals in fossil fuels. In short, laundering of polluting energies. Enough to give fodder to certain environmental defenders who have been describing the event as a “climate scam” for months.
“Talking points” on oil projects
“Leaked briefing documents reveal plans to discuss fossil fuel deals with 15 countries,” BBC journalists tell us, adding that “the UAE team has not denied using COP28 meetings for trade discussions”, arguing that “private meetings are private”.
Intended to be handed over to Sultan Al Jaber, the president of COP28, the documents notably mention “discussion points” on various contracts, some of which relate to fossil fuels. In particular with Adnoc, the state oil company of the United Arab Emirates, whose CEO is none other than… Sultan Al Jaber, who also heads the renewable energy company, Masdar.
However, last October, the director general of COP28, Majid al-Suwaidi, declared during a press conference that the team for the United Arab Emirates climate summit was “entirely independent” from Adnoc and Masdar. “The fact that Sultan Al Jaber occupies a number of positions in addition to his role as COP28 President-designate is public knowledge and we have been transparent from the start,” said the COP28 team. in a press release sent to the BBC.
COP president accused of conflicts of interest
However, the documents consulted by our British colleagues highlight the preponderance of Adnoc and Masdar in the discussions preceding the event. Inside, we discover for example that Adnoc says it is “ready to jointly evaluate international LNG opportunities [gaz naturel liquéfié]” in Mozambique, Canada and Australia. There is also talk of asking “a Colombian minister” to clarify that the oil company “stands ready” to help Colombia develop its fossil fuels.
Revelations that risk throwing a wrench into the pond. Especially since it is traditionally the responsibility of the President of the COP to put pressure on countries so that the objectives set are as ambitious as possible in terms of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
“Attempting to conclude commercial transactions during the COP process appears to be a serious violation of the standards of conduct expected of a president,” underlines the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). And to recall that the presidents of the COPs are “supposed to act without bias, prejudice, favoritism, caprice, personal interest, preference or deference, and to be strictly based on sound, independent and fair judgment”.
Contracts for LNG deliveries, fossil fuel projects, etc.
And Adnoc doesn’t stop there. The oil company is targeting 13 other countries, including Germany and Egypt. The objective? Encourage them more and more to invest in fossil fuel projects. “The Brazilian Minister of the Environment was to be asked to ‘obtain alignment and approval’ of Adnoc’s bid for Latin America’s largest oil and gas processing company, Braskem,” explains the British media which also returns to Adnoc’s $2.1 billion offer to buy a key stake.
In addition, the company intends to reaffirm its LNG supply capacity to Germany, and encourages Saudi Arabia and Venezuela to ensure “that no conflict exists between the sustainable development of a country’s natural resources and its commitment to climate change.
Revelations that tarnish the image of COP28
But in this matter, some vagueness remains. In particular on the number of times “Sultan Al Jaber and his colleagues raised the discussion points during COP28 meetings with foreign governments”. “We know that at least once, a country followed up on trade discussions raised during a meeting organized by the United Arab Emirates COP28 team,” said the journalists to whom 12 countries confirmed that no discussion of commercial activities during the meetings had taken place.
The leaked documents, however, show that the COP28 president had been briefed on the idea of ”seeking government support” to double the size of a wind farm off the coast of Sheringham, Norfolk, in which Masdar has an interest.
Interviewed by the BBC, the president of COP20 in Peru in 2014, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, fears that these revelations will add distrust to distrust, and slow down progress in the fight against climate change. “If a COP president tries to bring special interest, [y compris] a commercial interest, this could lead to the failure of the conference”, he lamented.