In an opinion article, Jaafar said that the choice of the UAE to host the Conference of the Parties (COP28) sparked controversy in the West, but in doing so highlighted “a narrow Western mentality that is increasingly alienating many in the developing world whose acceptance will be crucial to facing this global challenge.”
Western double standards
The last two meetings, COP26 and COP27, were held in Scotland and Egypt, both major oil and gas producers, yet they faced little backlash over it. This underscores the Western double standards.
At the COP26 conference, the working platforms of the oil, gas, coal and nuclear industries, which together produce 90 percent of the world’s energy, were canceled and not even allowed to participate in the dialogue, due to a certain agenda, which undermined the entire meeting and hampered its success.
We have also seen “Western scoldings” during recent COP meetings in developing countries such as India and others, countries that were waiting for the $100 billion in “climate sector financing” that was promised in Paris, but has yet to materialize.
These developing countries rightly and understandably ask industrialized Western governments: “How can you, who have colonized large parts of Asia and Africa, and used our resources to fuel your industrial development, now somehow lecture us that we should not have a stable energy field, while you are enjoying it?” ?”
In the first sign of an energy crisis last year, several European countries restarted their coal plants, despite advocacy against the use of this fuel at COP meetings. Last.
Virtually all European countries, including Britain, now subsidize energy consumption even after they have spent years “lecturing” developing countries to avoid doing so.
Many of these same countries are now also approaching African countries, such as Mozambique and Tanzania, desperately seeking natural gas that they previously refused to import for domestic consumption in the name of “climate policy”, as long as it now goes to Europe as liquefied gas.
Such “hypocrisy”, as described by Jaafar, disturbs developing countries that see climate policies being used to hinder their growth and development and, therefore, jeopardize the progress of the entire COP process to reduce global emissions as a common collaborative challenge.
All this leads us to the logical conclusion that the UAE is the perfect place to host COP28 and build a bridge connecting the “divided” North and South.
Why is the UAE ideal for hosting?
- First, the UAE is a major investor in all forms of energy, including renewables.
- Masdar, one of the world’s largest investors in clean energy and is active in more than 40 countries around the world, was established in Abu Dhabi in 2006, long before most other countries made major commitments in this field.
- Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President Al-Maeen was the founding CEO of Masdar and continues to serve as Chairman of its Board of Directors.
- It is a role he held long before his current position at ADNOC. Moreover, countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia will lead the expansion of hydrogen because they have the resources, both in terms of financing and natural gas and low-cost solar energy supplies, to be able to develop these technologies in the future.
- The other feature of the UAE is its geography. Being centrally located and equipped with superior logistics services and travel links to the world, it is the best place to bring together north and south, east and west, which is essential for true dialogue.
- It should also be noted the unique relations that the UAE has developed with a number of Asian and African countries. This is important because, ultimately, the climate battle will be won or lost in these countries, as they will account for almost all future global growth in carbon emissions.
- COP28 will be held at the same venue that hosted Expo 2020 in Dubai, which became the first world fair to pay for so-called “least developed countries” to have their own pavilions.
- In other words, the UAE represents an inclusive place where all countries’ opinions are welcomed and respected. For all these reasons, it will be COP28 A comprehensive and successful conference, the UAE proved to be the ideal host, regardless of the talks taking place in Europe.
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