Former Vice President Al Gore questioned the choice of the United Arab Emirates as the location for the COP28 climate talks, given its status as a major oil producer. In addition, he criticized the appointment of Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of ADNOC, as the conference president, considering the discussions on reducing fossil fuel use at the annual climate conference.
"It's not just the fact that it's located in an oil-producing country; it's the selection of the CEO of one of the largest and most irresponsible oil companies in the world to lead the conference," Gore said on CNN's "State of the Union," describing Al Jaber's position as a "clear conflict of interest" and asserting that the fossil fuel industry has "crossed a line."
CNN has contacted ADNOC for a response.
Despite the controversial location and leader of the UN-backed summit, Gore stayed optimistic, suggesting that it could potentially be a "blessing in disguise" that has brought attention to the absurdity of the situation. He indicated that if the majority of countries at the summit stick to their convictions and push for a phaseout of fossil fuels, there could be a surprisingly positive outcome.
During a panel discussion in late November, Al Jaber expressed skepticism about the science behind the push to phase out fossil fuels in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a key objective of the Paris climate agreement. Nevertheless, following backlash from his comments, Al Jaber reiterated his belief in the necessity of phasing out fossil fuels and affirmed his commitment to climate science.
While US climate envoy John Kerry has previously endorsed Al Jaber's leadership at the COP, he refrained from addressing the controversy during a recent news conference.
The first week of COP28 concluded on Thursday, marking the start of negotiations on the phaseout of fossil fuels - the primary cause of climate change - at the annual climate talks. Over 100 countries are in support of some form of phaseout, but oil-producing nations are opposed to any mention of reducing oil and gas.
Additionally, Gore stated on Sunday that the unaddressed threats of climate change are contributing to a global mental health crisis.
The global population deserves to have confidence in the integrity of this process. For far too long, fossil fuel polluters have attempted to manipulate the process, and the world is no longer willing to tolerate it. Despite pledges to slash pollution at the conference, the world remains off track in limiting global warming to the crucial 1.5-degree threshold. According to an analysis by the International Energy Agency, the pledges are far from sufficient to achieve the necessary reduction in global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrialization levels.
Gore on Trump
On Sunday, the previous vice president also commented on the potential outcome of another Donald Trump presidency. He highlighted Trump's recent statement to Fox's Sean Hannity during a town hall, where Trump mentioned that he wouldn't act like a dictator "except for Day 1."
Gore expressed to CNNs Jake Tapper that he questioned what it would take for people to believe in someone's true identity. He also emphasized that the solution to political despair is political action and urged those in the Republican Party, Democratic Party, and independents to take action in order to preserve American democracy and our ability to govern and solve problems.
Last week, Trump responded to comments made by former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney, who lost her seat to a Trump-backed primary challenger last year. Cheney expressed concerns that a Trump victory in the 2024 presidential election would lead the nation into a dictatorship. In a speech at the New York Young Republican Club, Trump dismissed these concerns as a "hoax" and referred to it as the "threat-to-democracy hoax."
CNNs Angela Dewan, Eric Bradner and Alison Main contributed to this report
