The new president of COP28 has called for a tripling of renewable energy generation by 2030 while highlighting the need for oil and gas from the “least carbon intensive producers”, following his controversial appointment to lead this year’s UN climate summit.
Sultan al-Jaber, the head of Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company, was appointed to the role by host country the United Arab Emirates earlier this week. In a speech on Saturday he said the world was “way off track” to meet its climate goals and was “playing catch-up”.
The Paris climate accord, signed by nearly 200 countries, commits nations to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by 2100. Last year was the fifth warmest on record, top EU and US scientists concluded this month.