In a leaked internal document obtained by the Centre for Climate Reporting (CCR) and the Guardian, it has come to light that senior executives from the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) are actively involved with the Cop28 team. This revelation comes as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) intensifies its public relations efforts ahead of the upcoming UN climate summit later this year.
The leaked Cop28 communications strategy document discloses that two PR professionals from Adnoc have been identified as offering “additional support” to the team overseeing the summit. This revelation further raises concerns about the intertwining connections between the UAE’s Cop28 team and its fossil fuel industry.
Sultan Al Jaber, Adnoc’s chief executive, who also serves as the UAE’s climate change special envoy, was announced as the Cop28 president in January. The summit is scheduled to be hosted in Dubai during November and December. Since Al Jaber’s appointment, multiple reports have questioned the links between his roles. The Cop28 team previously claimed that clear governance guidelines were in place to ensure its independence from other entities.
Pascoe Sabido, a researcher from Corporate Observatory Europe and co-coordinator of the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition, criticized the involvement of Adnoc staff in Cop28’s PR efforts, deeming it “wholly inappropriate.” He asserts that this demonstrates a close relationship between the oil company and the summit team.
Earlier this year, CCR and the Guardian reported that several Adnoc staff members held crucial roles at the summit, including climate negotiators, with some seconded from their positions within the oil company. In June, it was revealed that Adnoc and Cop28 shared an IT system, enabling Adnoc staff to access emails sent to and from the Cop28 team.
The leaked document identifies the two Adnoc communications executives involved as Philip Robinson and Paloma Berenguer, both possessing a combined 28 years of experience in the fossil fuel industry, including past roles at Shell.
A Cop28 spokesperson clarified that the two executives did not accompany the team to the UN General Assembly in New York and were not engaged in communications activities there. The spokesperson added that the Cop28 team often redirects queries unrelated to Cop28 to the appropriate UAE entities.
The document outlines Cop28’s public relations strategy and key talking points for Al Jaber and senior team members attending the UN General Assembly. It emphasizes the assembly’s significance in setting the tone and shaping the climate narrative in the lead-up to Cop28.
While Al Jaber reiterated at the UN that a “phase down” of fossil fuels was inevitable and crucial, he did not endorse a complete phase-out, as advocated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Guterres maintains that a complete phase-out of oil, coal, and gas is essential to combat global heating.
Notably, the leaked communications plan does not mention a phase-down or phase-out of fossil fuels. Instead, it focuses on messages related to “fast-tracking the energy transition” by bolstering global renewable capacity, reducing emissions from polluting industries, and providing funding for green investments. Notably, as the Chief Executive of Adnoc, Al Jaber is overseeing a significant expansion of the company’s oil and gas production.
A Cop28 spokesperson clarified that the summit’s position is that the phase-down of fossil fuels is inevitable and must coincide with a rapid increase in zero-carbon alternatives, a stance reiterated at the UN.
Adnoc did not provide a response to requests for comment.
Sabido called for measures to safeguard the UN from the pervasive influence of the fossil fuel industry and other oil-producing nations, stressing that it was not solely Al Jaber’s responsibility.
