A business mindset is needed to tackle the climate crisis, COP28 chief says

If the world is to successfully tackle the climate crisis, it must also draw on the business mindset and involve the private sector more in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Sultan Al Jaber, president of this year's UN climate conference, said this in an interview with The Guardian. COP28 will be held this year in the United Arab Emirates, where Al Jaber is the minister of industry and head of the state-owned oil company ADNOC. Many activists see this as a mockery and a major conflict of interest.

„We need a substantial change of course and a huge effort to reignite this process. Governments alone cannot do it,“ Al Jaber said.

„The scale of this problem requires all of us to work in solidarity. We need partnership, not polarization, and we must approach it with clear logic and a workable plan for the next steps,“ he added.

Al Jaber's appointment to lead the climate conference is highly controversial, particularly because of his role at the helm of an oil company. ADNOC is one of the world's largest suppliers of oil and natural gas—the fossil fuels whose combustion contributes significantly to rising emissions. Al Jaber also heads Masdar, a major investor in renewable energy.