COP28 host UAE eyes gas deals ahead of UN climate talks: BBC
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The news: COP28 host the United Arab Emirates planned to discuss possible natural gas and other commercial deals ahead of United Nations climate talks that begin this week, an investigation by the BBC and the Centre for Climate Reporting says. A COP28 spokesperson said the documents used in the investigation are inaccurate and unverified.
The numbers: The climate summit will be the first global assessment of progress since the landmark Paris Agreement in 2015, which set a goal of limiting global warming to well below 2C while aiming for a cap of 1.5C. The investigation cited leaked documents, which it said were prepared for COP28 president-designate Sultan Al Jaber for meetings with at least 27 governments.
The context: The nomination of Jaber to lead the climate talks has drawn criticism from climate activists, who are concerned he will be unable to take the neutral stance required of a COP president. Jaber is head of state oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and the UAE is a major crude producer and a leading member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
What they said: A COP28 spokesperson told Reuters: "The documents referred to in the BBC article are inaccurate and were not used by COP28 in meetings."
"It is extremely disappointing to see the BBC use unverified documents in their reporting," said a statement in response to a Reuters question over the documents.
The source: AAP
