|
The
27 Democratic members of Congress, led by California Congressman
Jared Huffman, sent a letter to Kerry calling on him to persuade
the future U.N. climate summit host to withdraw the appointment
of Sultan Al Jaber, head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company,
who is charged with shepherding the next round of climate
negotiations.
The lawmakers said the appointment jeopardizes the climate
talks, which they say are already negatively influenced by the
presence of fossil fuel lobbyists.
"It risks undermining the very essence of what is trying to be
accomplished," they wrote to Kerry.
"Furthermore, as some of us have urged future COPs should
require any participating company to submit an audited corporate
political influencing statement that discloses climate-related
lobbying, campaign contributions, and funding of trade
associations and organizations active on energy and climate,"
they added.
On Jan. 12, Kerry congratulated the UAE on the selection of
Jaber.
In an interview with Reuters last month, Kerry said having an
oil state host the COP is a positive move because "it's so
important that you have an oil and gas producing nation step up
and say we understand the challenge of the climate crisis.”
Al-Jaber, also UAE's minister of industry and technology and its
climate envoy, will help shape the conference's agenda and
intergovernmental negotiations to build consensus, his office
said in a statement.
Campaigners and some delegates criticized COP27, saying fossil
fuel producers had watered down emission reduction ambitions and
benefited from sympathetic treatment from Egypt, a natural gas
exporter and frequent recipient of Gulf funds.
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by David Gregorio)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
