COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber faces scrutiny as meeting kicks off in Dubai
And as the show begins, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), has officially taken over as president. His task will be to steer the talks and ensure that the COP meets the global climate goal of limiting global warming to 1.50C.
But as he takes on the most important role in the climate talks, calls for his resignation are growing louder, following allegations that he has been working for the oil industry with instructions to derail any talks on phasing out fossil fuels.
He has, however, denied the allegations and insisted he is committed to the COP agenda.
“I know there are strong views about the idea of including language on fossil fuels and renewables in the negotiated text. We have the power to do something unprecedented. I ask you to work together,” he urged delegates.
“Be flexible, find common ground, come forward with solutions, and achieve consensus. And never lose sight of our North Star of 1.5C.”
At the opening plenary, delegates adopted the agenda, setting the stage for the next two weeks of negotiations. World leaders are expected to attend the high-level sessions. President William Ruto is among them.
Kenya says its goal is to deliver justice for the Kenyan people in the face of the climate impacts that the country and the continent continue to suffer.
“This is why the negotiators under the technical coordination of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry have developed a position paper to guide negotiations under different agenda items,” Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya told the Nation in an exclusive interview.
Kenya's priority areas, which include adaptation and climate finance, are pegged on the common Africa agenda and the Nairobi Declaration, which was the outcome of the Africa Climate Summit.
President Ruto is expected to present this declaration at the COP in his capacity as the current chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC).
“The African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change outlines how feasible, effective, and low-hanging options for climate mitigation and adaptation are already at the world’s disposal from the African continent and only requires accessible capital and technology to realise,” said Ms Tuya.
“Throughout the conference, both state and non-state actors from different sectors will use the global gathering presented by COP to hold bilateral meetings and use existing platforms to mobilise resources and partnerships for various climate action programmes and projects,” assured CS Tuya.
Dr Pacifica Ogola, Kenya's chief negotiator, stressed in an interview that the key document of this year's COP will be a global stock-take (GST), which she says will provide clear direction on what the world needs to "course-correct" to achieve all the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The First Global Stoke take Synthesis report of September 8, 2023, or in layman’s language “a report card” confirms that the world is not on track to achieving the Paris Agreement across all areas.
“The science has spoken,” Dr Al Jaber told delegates during the opening plenary. “It has confirmed the moment is now to find a new road, a road wide enough for all of us, free of the obstacles and detours of the past. That new road starts with a decision on the Global Stocktake, a decision that is ambitious, corrects course and accelerates action to 2030.”
As negotiators roll up their sleeves to begin the talks, civil society groups have urged African leaders to prioritise the needs of the continent and deliver a deal that responds to the climate challenges that Africans face.
“The continent’s position should be inspired by the struggles faced by people at the frontline of the climate crisis – women, youth,” Dr Mithika Mwenda, the Executive Director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), said.
Dr Al Jaber used his first official speech as COP president to call on delegates to unite around the agenda and restore faith in multilateralism.
“I pledge that I will run an inclusive and transparent process, one that encourages free and open discussion between all parties,” Dr Al Jaber said.