We May Not Have Power of Money but We Have Power of People

Civil society and climate change activists are protesting the appointment of Sultan al Jabel to the COP28 presidency.  The protests came after UAE appointed the state-owned Oil Company.(Times of Israel)

an act seen by Climate change militants as confect of interests and taking back the commitment to address the effects of climate change and just energy transition.

Talking to Living on Earth a US based national public radio program on environment and climate change, Dr. Mithika Mwenda, the Executive Director of Pan African Climate Justice Alliance said that the nomination of Dr Sultan al Jabel came as shocking news to African civil society organization and others advocating for climate justice.

He said that that UNFCCC wouldn’t have allowed that nomination because his president will pose an influence on climate negotiations.  “The position of COP presidency   doesn’t necessarily need a diplomatic person but someone who is passionate to the future generations and the good health of the planet” he spoke.  He recalled some COP presidents in the past who held power, took over the discussions and could influence the outcome of the climate negotiations.

Last year, the UAE oil company stated that the United Arab Emirates’ hydrocarbon reserves increased by 2 billion stock tank barrels (STB) of mostly Murban-grade crude and 1 trillion standard cubic feet (TSCF)of natural gas in 2022.

During the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec), Dr Al Jaber, managing director and group chief executive of ADNOC, said that “World set to lose 5 million barrels of oil a day if investment stops”.

He warned that in the past summits oil corporates and polluters whose many of them are individuals have captured the space of negotiations and that this tends to extend with Al Jabel COP presidency. He reiterated that African CSOs and other LDC affected by effect of climate change “are negotiating their future “we are really worried of our future” he added.

After his nomination, the US through John Kerry, the President Joe Biden special envoy on climate change congratulated him and backed his nomination

Dr. Mithika Mwenda observed, John Kerry’s congratulations to Jabel is a shame to a country like US which has been proclaiming her commitment to transit from fossil fuel to renewable energy.(Washington post)

“We have been monitoring John Kerry’s conduct since COP23 and after. We would like to know if John Kerry is representing the Americans views and want President Joe Biden show US government leadership on what he always proclaims” said Mithika.

Dr. Mithika called UAE to listen to cries of people, indigenous people suffering the effect of climate change, small farmers, cattle keepers who lost herds due to droughts, millions of people from east and horn of Africa suffering from long droughts and others. “We may not have power of Money, but we have power of people”, he said.

He called the Emirates government to reconsider the nomination of Jabel and appoint another potential person who understands the needs to address the effects of climate change and clearly reiterated that the wish of African CSOs is to request UAE not to host COP28 with this hypocrisy.

He affirmed the role and importance of UNFCCC in climate multilateral negotiation processes despite some disadvantages but still are lower than advantages. He warned that “in case the world does not take the issue of climate change as an emergency issue, we shall all perish even though not now  it will happen eventually.”

Listen to the interview here