Guest essay by Charles Rotter
In a startling divergence from the conventional climate dialogue, COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber has boldly questioned the so-called scientific consensus on the need to phase out fossil fuels to achieve the 1.5°C climate goal. At a recent event, Al Jaber’s remarks signaled a stark departure from UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s stance, drawing sharp criticism from environmentalists.
Al Jaber’s assertion is:
“I accepted to come to this meeting to have a sober and mature conversation. I’m not in any way signing up to any discussion that is alarmist. There is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says that the phase-out of fossil fuel is what’s going to achieve 1.5C.”
This is a direct challenge to the prevailing climate doctrine. His argument strikes at the heart of policy discussions that have been increasingly dominated by calls for the rapid elimination of fossil fuels.
Drawing a line in the sand, Al Jaber posits that a wholesale phase-out of fossil fuels would regress society to a pre-industrial state, “back into caves.” This hyperbolic metaphor underscores his contention that current sustainable development cannot be disentangled from fossil fuel use.
“Please help me, show me the roadmap for a phase-out of fossil fuel that will allow for sustainable socioeconomic development, unless you want to take the world back into caves.”
“I don’t think [you] will be able to help solve the climate problem by pointing fingers or contributing to the polarisation and the divide that is already happening in the world. Show me the solutions. Stop the pointing of fingers. Stop it,”
Critics point to Al Jaber’s dual role as the chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company, Adnoc, as a serious conflict of interest. This dual capacity has led to accusations that Al Jaber cannot impartially preside over COP28 while also steering an oil conglomerate.
The debate over fossil fuels is anticipated to be one of the most contentious issues at COP28. The final language of the agreement, whether it calls for a phase-out or a weaker “phase-down,” is expected to be a bellwether of the summit’s outcome.
While Al Jaber has called for solutions beyond finger-pointing, alarmist scientists like Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, assert that the science mandates a phase-out by mid-century. Similarly, the alarmist choir of Prof Sir David King and Dr. Friederike Otto stress the urgent need to curtail carbon emissions and dismiss the idea that fossil fuels are necessary for development.
Despite the controversy, COP28 aims to set ambitious decarbonization targets for the oil and gas industry and triple renewable energy. Al Jaber himself, also the head of the UAE’s renewable energy company Masdar, has advocated for clean energy investments and tackling operational emissions.
Al Jaber’s statements have introduced an interesting and provocative counter-narrative to the climate debate. While his comments have attracted derision from environmental groups, they reflect a broader discourse on the pragmatic challenges of transitioning from fossil fuels. As COP28 unfolds, the tension between economic pragmatism and environmental idealism will undoubtedly remain a central theme.
Finally a voice of reason from these down deaf anarchists who have no idea how or why eliminating all fossil fuel will cool down the planet! You can neither create or destroy matter or energy it’s already here in one form or another within our earthly realm and will always be that way! If they want to go back to prehistoric times then let them live in the jungles but leave the rest of us alone with your claptrap alarmist beliefs which is what they are, nothing scientific about it!