Cop28 president says ‘no science’ behind phasing out fossil fuels
The president of Cop28 has said there is “no science” to suggest that a phasing out of fossil fuels is required to limit global warming to 1.5C.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who is also head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, questioned such a move – “unless you want to take the world back into caves”.
His comments were condemned by campaigners and scientists at the climate conference in Dubai. Many countries, including Britain and those in the European Union, are calling for a phasing out of unabated fossil fuels, meaning those that are burnt without CCS devices, which capture carbon and store it.
In a call with the former Irish president Mary Robinson, Al Jaber said “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”.
When Robinson challenged him, he said: “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.” The recording was uncovered by the Centre for Climate Reporting and first reported by The Guardian.
Romain Ioualalen, global policy lead at Oil Change International, said: “Al Jaber's science-denying statements are alarming and raise deep concerns about the presidency's capacity to lead the UN climate talks at a time when leadership and a clear vision are most needed.”
Oliver Geden, a senior fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, cast doubt on the ability of CCS devices to play a large role in reducing emissions. He said they should be reserved for applications such as cement production where it is not yet possible to replace fossil fuels with a clean energy source. “Even if you use CCS, it will never get to 100% capture rate,” he said. “So if you used a coal plant with CCS it's not that there are no emissions. It does not add up.”
Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, chairman of the Energy Transitions Commission, said carbon capture would play a small role in decarbonisation. A Cop28 spokesman said the report was “just another attempt to undermine the presidency's agenda”, adding: “The Cop president is clear that phasing down and out of fossil fuels is inevitable and that we must keep 1.5C within reach.”