Charting a path to a renewable energy future

There needs to be a bridge between our current energy needs and the vital changes that need to be made, writes Chris Blackhurst

UAE’s Ahmed Al Jaber, pictured at Cop26 in Glasgow (AP)

There is outrage among climate campaigners at the appointment of Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber as president of this year’s Cop28 UN climate summit in Dubai.

Al Jaber wore two hats. He’s UAE’s minister for industry and advanced technology, and he is chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Now he wears three, as host of the vitally important global climate talks.

How can he? How can he run one of the world’s biggest oil companies and at the same time, play the role of “honest broker” at the gathering, trying to find agreement between arguing governments, setting the direction of travel of the fortnight-long conference and determining what issues should receive greatest priority?