ASSEMBLE GRAND CANAL DOCK (BORD GAIS THEATRE)
1PM SATURDAY 9PM DECEMBER
COP 28 meets in the UAE this week amidst a global climate crisis. Temperatures are rising. 2023 will be the hottest year on record and, for many of us, the wettest.
In the last 12 months, rising global temperatures brought extreme heat waves, droughts and floods across Africa, Europe, Asia and in the Americas. Severe floods hit many countries from Greece to China, the US to Libya – and, of course, here in Ireland. Apocalyptic wildfires, storms and droughts struck again and again across the globe.
Yet COP 28 is dominated by representatives of the fossil fuel industry. The President of COP28 is Sultan al Jaber who is also the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Corporation (Adnoc).
Journalists from the Centre for Climate Reporting obtained documents that included plans for UAE representatives to meet with 27 foreign governments before the conference. Their aim is to sell more fossil fuels.
The documents included proposed “talking points”, such as one for China which says Adnoc, the UAE’s state oil company, is “willing to jointly evaluate international LNG [liquefied natural gas] opportunities” in Mozambique, Canada and Australia.
The documents suggest telling a Colombian minister that Adnoc “stands ready” to support Colombia to develop its fossil fuel resources.
There are talking points for 13 other countries, including Germany and Egypt, which suggest telling them Adnoc wants to work with their governments to develop fossil fuel projects.
The UAE is the world’s eighth-largest producer of oil, which alongside other fossil fuels is the biggest contributor to global warming. Its oil company, Adnoc, has set aside over £120 billion for expansion in the next five years.
All of this shows that we cannot rely on global leaders to save our planet. We need a huge level of ‘people power’ to force change.
That is why People Before Profit is urging people to support the Global Justice Day of Action.
