07 February, 2023, Kyiv, Ukraine- Ukrainian Climate group Razom We Stand shares universal grave concerns of climate activists and civil society over the decision by the UN to grant the presidency over the next UNFCCC climate change conference COP28 in UAE to Sultan Al Jaber, the head of the world’s 12th largest oil producer - Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
Svitlana Romanko, the Ukrainian Director of Razom We Stand, based in Ukrainian, stated;
“With big oil capture over COP28 the UN is failing on its primary mandates - on peace and climate. This is indeed terrifying. Granting the presidency over the next UNFCCC climate change conference COP28 in UAE to the head of the world’s 12th largest oil producer is actually obscene and definitely not “terrific”. After seeing John Kerry giving heads up to greenwashing of big oil, can we expect him to support appointment of putin as a chair of peace conference?”
Tweet from @SvitlanaRomanko here:
Instead of greenwashing #bigoil, at #COP28 @UNFCCC must drive an international mobilization to unlock the finance for the #greentransformation and clean energy revolution in line with the demands of #climatescience and #KickBigPollutersOut.
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"Instead of greenwashing big oil and legitimizing petrocracy, the UN must push an international mobilization to drive the contraction of the fossil fuel industry and to unlock the finance for the green energy revolution in line with the demands of climate science", says Romanko.
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Press Contact:
Jason Kirkpatrick, jason@razomwestand.org, Snr. Communications Mgr., Razom We Stand
Notes to editors:
The controversy over the appointment of a leader of the oil industry as head of a climate summit continues to create global controversy and scandal, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday stating;
"I have a special message for fossil-fuel producers and their enablers; …Your core product is our core problem."
For three decades the UN COP climate process has been failing again and again to recognize that all three major perils of humanity - wars, inequality and climate crisis are driven by the global addiction to dirty and dangerous fossil fuels. If petrodictators like putin will be able to continue making a killing at deregulated energy markets, more space will open up in the world for fossil-fuelled conflicts, as other petrodictators will be encouraged to use brute force and attempt violent conflicts, while the UN and other peace institutions will totally lose their credibility.