In the United Arab Emirates, the host nation for the COP28 climate summit, observers see a potential opening for energy sector negotiations with multiple countries. The event is set to begin this Thursday and run into early December in Dubai, creating a backdrop for high-level talks on climate policy and energy strategy.
Public documents obtained by journalists reveal plans from the host nation to explore fuel-related arrangements with fifteen other governments. The materials suggest that officials involved in organizing the summit may have participated in business meetings during the preparations, raising questions about the boundary between climate diplomacy and commercial interests.
Reports based on BBC coverage indicate that the organizing team describes private meetings as private while stating that their work centers on measurable climate action. The statements emphasize a focus on verifiable climate progress alongside potential energy collaborations.
The article section formerly labeled as a caption references a previous COP gathering in Egypt. It notes ongoing processes related to the summit and the security and policy environment surrounding it.
The climate information center, working in collaboration with BBC, obtained documents prepared by the COP28 team in the United Arab Emirates. These were prepared after discussions with at least twenty-seven foreign governments in the lead-up to the summit, which is slated to commence the following day. The documents outline suggested topics for discussion and indicate that China may be among the nations considered for dialogue on energy and environmental policy.
The Emirates state oil company, Adnoc, is identified as being open to jointly exploring international liquefied natural gas opportunities in regions including Mozambique, Canada and Australia. The materials also show a suggested approach to communicating with a Colombian minister about Adnoc walls willingness to support Colombia’s development of fossil fuel resources.
“Talking topics”
The BBC notes that talking points were prepared for thirteen other countries, including Germany and Egypt, with the implication that Adnoc aimed to collaborate with their governments on developing fossil fuel projects. The documents also reveal that Masdar, the UAE’s renewable energy entity, was developing talking points about business opportunities with renewable energy partners ahead of meetings with twenty countries, among them the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kenya.
According to the same information, these discussions were chaired by COP28 president Sultan al-Jaber, who also serves as the chief executive of Adnoc and is closely connected to Masdar, the state’s renewable energy utility. The materials suggest responsibility for preparing these documents lay with the COP28 leadership and affiliated agencies.
The BBC notes that it is not entirely clear how many times Sultan al-Jaber and his colleagues raised such issues in COP28-related meetings with foreign governments. The public chain shows that in at least one instance, one of the involved foreign countries continued these trade negotiations. The UAE team subsequently led the meeting, but the other twelve countries reportedly agreed that commercial activities would not be discussed at the relevant sessions.
……….……….……….……….…
Note: This article reflects ongoing journalistic reporting and should be interpreted in the context of evolving COP28 developments and official disclosures.