COP28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber
Adnoc’s global energy leadership
Oil and gas companies look to defy cynics and play pivotal role in decarbonisation as the UAE hosts COP28
The UN climate talks under way in the UAE are focusing on the role of oil and gas companies as never before—not least because COP28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber is also CEO of national oil and gas company Adnoc. From the viewpoint of the government of the UAE—one of the world’s largest producers of oil and gas—“Dr Sultan”, as his aides reportedly call him, is not that surprising a choice. He is minister of industry and advanced technology, chairman of the nation’s renewable energy company, Masdar, and has been the UAE’s special envoy for climate change since 2020. But his role as Adnoc chief has left climate campaigners aghast at what they see as a monumental conflict of interest. One of
Also in this section
12 March 2026
Role of world’s largest carbon cap-and-trade market under scrutiny as war in Iran threatens to drive EU energy costs to unsustainable levels
10 March 2026
Europe urgently needs to bring more projects to FID, as CCS investors warn they might divert capital to faster-growing regions
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
