Why are so many in the West faulting the UAE for hosting Cop28?

The Cop28 logo launch at the World Future Energy Summit 2023 in Abu Dhabi, on January 17, 2023. EPA

In 2015, students from public and private schools in the UAE filled several halls in Adnec, one of the busiest event spaces in the heart of Abu Dhabi. On screens around them were beamed images of hope and anticipation of what the future would hold for this young group of people.

Not a whisper could be heard as they all looked up to their future leader, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the UAE. He took the stage and casually walked up to the podium alone with only his notes in his hand as the name of the event glimmered behind him: the Mohamed bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations.

In an inspiring and motivating speech that lasted almost an hour, in a calm and confident tone Sheikh Mohamed asked: “In 50 years, when we might have the last barrel of oil, the question is – when it is shipped abroad, will we be sad?”

“If we are investing today in the right sectors,” he added, “I can tell you we will celebrate at that moment.”

This statement quickly drew applause and cheers from the young crowd because they knew that a masterplan was going to unfold as the UAE, one of the world’s major oil-producing countries, was going to transition to other energy sources and, most importantly, rely on alternative revenue streams.

Fast forward to 2023, and one of the most important events that the UAE will host is Cop28. There are two narratives that are capturing the world’s headlines – one led by the optimists and the other led by bullies.

In the optimists’ camp, it is very clear that this important event will bring world leaders, businesses, NGOs and others together. They will discuss and produce a clear plan on energy transition, balancing and cutting emissions to safer levels, as well as putting a strategy in place to support both developed and developing countries with their energy needs. Doing this in an Opec member country is exactly what needs to happen to have more accountability from oil-producing nations.

Meanwhile, the bullies are a combination of conspicuous agenda activists, click-bait hungry journalists, virtue-signalling cynics and high-horse western tyrants whose main argument is that the leader of an oil company cannot be the president of a climate change conference and that this event on climate action should not be taking place in a country that produces one of the products that impacts climate change.

It is quite clear that they are choosing to miss the point, because here are the facts. Dr Sultan Al Jaber’s career really took off when he championed one of the UAE’s largest clean energy initiatives, which is building a sustainable city – Masdar. Masdar grew from strength to strength as it developed clean energy projects across the world, including in Asia, Africa and Europe.

Dr Al Jaber was also the mastermind behind the Zayed Future Energy Prize and World Future Energy Summit, both initiatives that have encouraged and supported green energy projects around the world. Dr Al Jaber was later made chief executive of Adnoc for several reasons, but one, in particular, being that he was tasked by Sheikh Mohamed to work on a diversification programme for the company, including looking at new technologies that will include hydrogen as a cleaner alternative to burning oil and gas.

While the West had the opportunity to develop their countries over hundreds of years and accelerated their growth, particularly after the Second World War with oil and gas that they either took by force from developing countries or paid less than what should’ve been shared with energy-rich countries; they now want to stifle the growth of developing countries just when these nations have managed to reduce corruption, have more stable governments and achieve higher literacy rates.

When the West faces an energy crisis, it immediately turns on the coal furnaces or begins drilling for its own resources, the case in point here being since the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine in 2022.

Also, let us not forget that the largest oil companies are not from oil-producing countries. For some reason, companies such as Occidental (US), Shell (UK), BP (UK) and Total (France) are not the ones being called out every year. The bullies should be writing headlines about them or camping outside their headquarters for the damage they have caused to the environment, including oil spills, livelihood destruction and much more.

So, the question we have to ask is: what is this really all about? Why are the headlines so spiteful? Why is the UAE, which has shown for more than 50 years its ability to transform and grow at such a pace, and strengthen its relationships with countries in the North, South, East and West being attacked for hosting an event that everyone knows will bring a real and lasting positive impact just like Expo 2020 Dubai, the Zayed Future Energy Prize and many others?