What it means for an oil producing country, the UAE, to host UN climate talks
DUBAI — World leaders, climate activists, scientists, business executives and a slew of lobbyists are in Dubai for the annual United Nations climate negotiations.
The talks, known as COP28, are taking place in the United Arab Emirates, one of the world's biggest oil and gas producers, and the fossil fuels industry's presence can be seen everywhere at the sprawling conference complex.
The UAE chose Sultan al-Jaber to preside over the talks. He's the chairman of the state-backed renewable energy company, Masdar, but he's also the chief executive of Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil company, ADNOC.
That has left many at COP28 concerned that the interests of oil companies and fossil fuel producers are influencing this year's summit, despite billions of dollars allocated by the UAE toward renewable energy projects at home and abroad.
The stakes are high for these talks:
