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    Oil firms are out in force at the climate talks. Here's how to decode their language

    The oil industry has a huge voice in this year's climate talks. But what are oil companies actually saying? And why does it matter? We break down their pledges and statements into plain English.
    by Camila Domonoske Dec 05, 2023 6 minutes
    Sultan al-Jaber is the president of this year's climate talks and the head of the UAE's state-run oil company. Oil companies have a big platform at the climate conference, and experts say their language is important because it can make it into policy.

    Just a few years ago, oil companies said they felt unwelcome at United Nations climate talks. Not this year.

    This year's climate conference is taking place in the United Arab Emirates, a major oil and gas producing country that's looking to increase its oil production. And the oil industry has a big platform at the talks.

    The oil cartel OPEC has its own pavilion at this meeting, known as COP28, and giant oil companies are playing a prominent role, to the dismay of climate activists.

    So what are oil producers saying in their pledges and statements about climate change? And what does it actually mean?

    Most oil companies acknowledge that climate change is real. Yet they also argue strongly for the world's continued use of massive quantities of fossil fuels, which power both the global economy and their profits.

    But climate scientists say it's crucial to cut fossil fuel use sharply to avoid some of the worst effects of global warming.

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