The world is “way off track” to hit climate goals, said Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber in his first address since being named negotiator-in-chief of COP28 climate talks on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, where the gathering will take place in late 2023.
“The world is playing catch-up when it comes to the key Paris goal of holding global temperatures down to 1.5 degrees,” Al Jaber said, adding that “the hard reality is that, in order to achieve this goal, global emissions must fall 43 percent by 2030.”
The UAE’s decision to entrust Al Jaber to broker global climate negotiations has drawn an intense backlash from environmental activists across the globe. They worry that inherent conflicts of interests may jeopardize the outcome of the flagship gathering.
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