Rachel Rose Jackson, Director: Climate Research & Policy, Corporate Accountability on the appointment of oil industry executive Sultan Al Jaber to lead 2023 climate talks:
“This move strips the climate talks of what little legitimacy they have remaining. How can there be any integrity when the United Arab Emirates, a major oil producer, first sends legions of industry lobbyists to COP27 and then anoints an oil industry executive to lead COP28? It points to the glaring absence of safeguards against the fossil fuel industry’s deceptive motives, let alone outright obstruction. The corporate capture of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) couldn’t be more brazen. Until corporate sponsorships, fossil fuel industry lobbying run amok, negotiations run like industry trade shows, PR-by industry shills, and appointments like these are prohibited, the UNFCCC can’t expect to be taken seriously. Its credibility depends on kicking Big Polluters out.”
