Greta Thunberg slams UAE oil boss appointment as COP28 chair as 'ridiculous'

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has slammed the appointment of UAE oil boss Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber as chair of the COP28 climate summit, due to take place in Dubai later this year.

Thunberg, who is campaigning for climate justice at the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, said it is "completely ridiculous" that the chief executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was selected to oversee the COP28 in November.

Al-Jaber's position at COP28 has been widely condemned by environmental activists, who say it highlights a lack of willingness by world leaders to tackle the "climate emergency".

Thunberg claimed that fossil fuel lobbyists have been influencing COP summits "since, basically, forever" and are putting "self greed, corporate greed and short-term economic profits" above people and the planet.

"This just puts a very clear face to it," she said. "It's completely ridiculous."

Many other environmental activists have criticised the appointment of Al-Jaber, including Harjeet Singh of the Climate Action Network International, saying it "poses an outrageous conflict of interest".

Teresa Anderson, global lead on climate justice at ActionAid, said the Al-Jaber's role "goes beyond putting the fox in charge of the henhouse".

Some prominent figures however, such as former US Secretary of State John Kerry, have defended Al-Jaber arguing that he is a leading expert in the industry who is helping the UAE, a major oil producer, transition to clean energy. 

Al-Jaber has promised a "pragmatic approach" to the issue of climate change at the summit.

"I sincerely believe that climate action today is an immense economic opportunity for investment in sustainable growth," he previously said, according to the UAE's WAM news agency.

COP27 was held in Egypt last year, leading to criticism of the host country over it's horrific human rights record, including the jailing of thousands of activists.

Thurnberg did not attend that summit, saying the event is a form of "greenwashing".