The greenhouse gasoline emissions of the United Arab Emirates rank among the many highest globally on a per capita foundation, an uncomfortable metric for the petrostate striving to be a inexperienced chief as host of the UN COP28 local weather summit this yr.
Center Japanese oil and gasoline producing nations, together with Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have among the many highest carbon emissions per capita globally, surpassing different large emitters together with the US, China and Russia, in keeping with the Oxford-based analysis group Our World In Information.
In absolute phrases, China and US are the world’s largest greenhouse gasoline emitters on an annual foundation, whereas the US is the most important historic polluter.
All international locations are being challenged to satisfy the globally agreed Paris Settlement purpose of limiting warming nicely under 2C, and ideally 1.5C.
The UAE appointed the head of its state-owned oil firm, Sultan al-Jaber, as COP28 president final week, a call that provoked a backlash from local weather specialists and activists.
US local weather envoy John Kerry and the EU inexperienced chief Frans Timmermans this week defended Jaber’s appointment nonetheless, citing his renewable power credentials.
Jaber launched Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s clear power firm, in 2006, which has change into one of many largest renewables teams worldwide and is aiming to develop its international renewables capability to 100GW by 2030.
Nonetheless, the UAE’s nationwide emissions discount goal is rated as “extremely inadequate” by the impartial scientific analysis group Local weather Motion Tracker.
The economy-wide emissions discount goal of 31 per cent by 2030, in comparison with a “enterprise as standard” situation in 2030, would lead to emissions greater than tripling in comparison with 1990 ranges, CAT estimated.
When in comparison with the UAE’s “justifiable share” of local weather mitigation, the goal was additionally “critically inadequate”, the group mentioned.
The nation announced throughout COP27 final November {that a} new goal for an emissions minimize of 18 per cent by 2030, in comparison with 2019 ranges, can be included in its subsequent UN submission this yr.
The UAE had “prioritised local weather motion in its nationwide agenda,” the Ministry of Local weather Change and Setting mentioned to the Monetary Occasions in response to the CAT conclusions.
Jaber touted the UAE’s credentials in his first speech as COP28 president final week, forward of the World Future Vitality Summit in Abu Dhabi. He mentioned the UAE was the primary within the area to decide to the Paris Settlement to restrict international warming, and pointed to the nation’s renewable energy goals.
Opec members the UAE and Saudi Arabia are competing to be the international locations that promote the final barrels of oil as demand for fossil fuels reduces, arguing that their manufacturing processes are much less emissions intensive per barrel than these of different nations.
Emissions depth measures are relative to output, which signifies that manufacturing and absolute emissions can proceed to rise even when emissions depth falls.
The Abu Dhabi Nationwide Oil Firm, led by Jaber, introduced this yr that it deliberate to spend $15bn by 2030 on clear energy, carbon seize and storage and electrification to cut back its carbon depth by 25 per cent by 2030.
That spending is only a portion of the projected whole capital spending of $150bn between 2023 and 2027, an quantity not too long ago approved by Adnoc’s board.
“As a progressive and accountable power supplier, Adnoc is dedicated to creating at the moment’s power cleaner whereas investing within the clear energies of tomorrow,” Adnoc mentioned in an announcement to the FT.
Greater than 600 fossil gas lobbyists have been registered to attend COP27, 1 / 4 greater than the yr earlier than, in keeping with evaluation by the marketing campaign group World Witness. The UAE introduced the most important variety of lobbyists of any authorities delegation, at 70, the marketing campaign group discovered.
Jaber mentioned this week that COP28 can be a “COP for Motion and a COP for all, bringing collectively the worldwide north and south and leaving nobody behind.”
“COP28 within the UAE will search to seek out international consensus in order that we are able to go additional and quicker and transfer from objectives to getting it accomplished,” he mentioned.
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