January 31st, 2023
Mr. Simon Stiell
Executive Secretary
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - UNFCCC
cc: António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
Permanent representatives to the United Nations in New York
Ref: Position and request of civil society on the appointment of COP28 president
With our highest consideration:
Receive cordial greetings from 136 civil society organizations and networks from Latin America and the Caribbean, and international allies, who are following the process of climate negotiations to demand governments to comply with the Paris Agreement goals to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5°C in a timely manner, as recommended by science.
The purpose of this letter is to express our deepest concern over the recent appointment, by the government of the United Arab Emirates, of Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber as president of the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to be held on November 30 to December 12 of this year, in Dubai.
Considering that Sultan al-Jaber is the executive director of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), we, the signatories of this letter on behalf of a broad group of civil society organizations and networks, express our complete disagreement with this designation that openly represents a conflict of interest between the international climate agenda and the interests of fossil fuel corporations that, as is well known, are the main responsible for the climate crisis. This would jeopardize the possibility of achieving positive results at COP28 that could lead to the implementation of ambitious climate commitments and real solutions to the current crisis, which are urgently needed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45% before 2030.
We therefore demand the reversal of that designation and the placement in that position of someone who is not linked to the fossil fuel industry or any sector with interests that could undermine or go against the climate fight, thus ensuring that the presidency and leadership of COP28 is conducted in an impartial manner. Failure to do so would represent an outrageous and large-scale capture of the UN climate negotiations by a national oil company and its associated fossil fuel industry lobbyists.
Furthermore, we would like to remind you that during COP27 held last year, 636 lobbyists linked to the fossil fuel business were present, according to Global Witness figures, and the largest delegation of oil and gas executives came from the United Arab Emirates, leading to highly insufficient results in terms of climate change mitigation, mainly related fossil fuels.
Likewise, COP27 was harshly criticized for the moral conflicts arising from the fact that the host was a natural gas exporting country such as Egypt, also characterized by an authoritarian regime and which, under the auspices provided by highly polluting companies such as Coca Cola, would be a preamble to weaken the multilateral negotiation process and which could represent its failure this year, within the framework of COP28.
The appointment of Sultan al-Jaber reveals the low prioritization of the government of the United Arab Emirates for timely and urgent attention to the climate crisis and materializes suspicion and distrust from civil society that COP28, through its presidency, will promote the interests of the fossil industry.
We need an impartial and transparent process that shows seriousness and builds trust to advance the climate agenda, considering that we are in a critical decade and that COP28 must deliver meaningful and substantive decisions to increase ambition in mitigation, phase out of all fossil fuels and ensure progress in the implementation of real solutions and concrete actions towards a just energy transition based on the promotion of renewable energies, as well as the implementation of adaptation measures especially in the global south.
We hope that our claim is considered and accepted, and that this conflictive situation will be solved as soon as possible, in favor of climate action, humanity and the planet. Time is running out, the future is now!
Sincerely,
136 Signatory Organizations (see list below)
No | Signatory Organization | Country |
1 | 350.org América Latina | Brasil |
2 | ABI | Brasil |
3 | ACT Promoção da Saúde | Brazil |
4 | Agoec | Argentina |
5 | ALCRAS | Ecuador |
6 | Alerta Isla Riesco | Chile |
7 | Alianza Mesoamericana de Pueblos y Bosques | Nicaragua |
8 | Alliance for Climate Justice and Clean Energy ( ACJCE) | Pakistan |
9 | Alternative Law Collective (ALC) | Pakistan |
10 | Amigos del río San Rodrigo A.C. | México |
11 | AMPB | Guatemala |
12 | Anistia Internacional Brasil | Brasil |
13 | Asamblea | Argentina |
14 | Asamblea no a la mina Esquel | Argentina |
15 | Asamblea por un MAR LIBRE de petroleras | Argentina |
16 | Asociacion Ambiente y Aociedad | Colombia |
17 | Asociación Ciudadana por los derechos humanos | Argentina |
18 | ASOCIACION MUJERES EMPRENDEDORAS DE ALTA VERAPAZ -MEAV- | Guatemala |
19 | Ass. Cultural Odum Orixas | Brasil |
20 | Associação Alternativa Terrazul | Brasil |
21 | Associação Brasileira de Agroecologia | Brasil |
22 | Association For Promotion Sustainable Development | India |
23 | Cáritas de El Salvador | El Salvador |
24 | Centre for Community Dialogue and Development | Kenya |
25 | Centro de Desenvolvimento Agroecológico Sabiá | Brasil |
26 | Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos "Segundo Montes Mozo SJ" (CSMM) | Ecuador |
27 | Centro Montalvo | República Dominicana |
28 | CGRR | Ecuador |
29 | CGTP | Perú |
30 | CIMA ONG AMBIENTAL | Argentina |
31 | CITinova DF | Brasil |
32 | Clínica Jurídica para la Justicia Ambiental "Berta Cáceres" (CJJA), Departamento de Derecho, Universidad Iberoamericana CDMX | México |
33 | COICA | Colombia |
34 | Coletivo de Educadores de PE | Brasil |
35 | Comitê de Energia Renovável do Semiárido-CERSA | Brasil |
36 | COMITÉ DEFENSOR DE LA VIDA AMAZONICA NA CUENCA DEL MADEIRA - COMVIDA | BRASIL\BOLÍVIA |
37 | Comité Mundial de SIODS | Bolivia |
38 | Conselho Nacional de Igrejas Cristãs do Brasil | Brasil |
39 | CRIOLA | Brasil |
40 | DECIDAMOS | PARAGUAY |
41 | Defensores do planeta | Brasil |
42 | Dumoulin | Panama |
43 | EcoDecision | Ecuador |
44 | Engajamundo | Brazil |
45 | Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia | Mexico |
46 | Eurodad | EU region |
47 | Financial Justice Ireland | Ireland |
48 | Fórum Mudanças Climáticas e Justiça Socioambiental | Brasil |
49 | Fórum Social Mundial da Saúde e Seguridade Social | Brasil |
50 | Frente ambiental | Ecuador |
51 | Frente por uma Nova Política Energética para o Brasil | Brasil |
52 | Fundação Esquel Brasil | Brasil |
53 | Fundación Ciudadanos y Clima | Chile |
54 | Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza | Guatemala |
55 | Fundación Hábitat Verde | Bolivia |
56 | Fundación PRODAMA | Bolivia |
57 | Fundación somuncura | Argentina |
58 | GARN- Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature | Ecuador |
59 | Gestos | Brazil |
60 | GFLAC | Ecuador |
61 | Grupo de Trabajo de cambio climático y justicia (GTCCJ) | Bolivia |
62 | GT da Sociedade Civil para a Agenda 2030 no Brasil | Brasil |
63 | Ibero | México |
64 | Iglesia de Dios | Honduras |
65 | Indigenous Friends Association | Canadá |
66 | Indus Consortium | Pakistan |
67 | Iniciativa Arcoiris de Ecología Política | Argentina |
68 | Instituto 5 Elementos | Brasil |
69 | Instituto Brasileiro de Análises Sociais e Econômicas (Ibase) | Brazil |
70 | Instituto de capacitación para el Desarrollo (INCADE) | Bolivia |
71 | Instituto de Desarrollo Urbano CENCA | PERU |
72 | Instituto de Ecología, UNIVERSIDAD MAYOR DE SAN ANDRÉS | Bolivia |
73 | Instituto de Estudos Socioeconômicos - INESC | Brazil |
74 | INSTITUTO DOM ALBERTO GUIMARÃE REZENDE / NFMCJS | Brasil |
75 | Instituto Madeira Vivo - IMV | Brasil |
76 | Instituto Popular de Capacitación IPC | Colombia |
77 | IPMSDL | Philippines |
78 | Kapluk organization forum | KENYA |
79 | Laboratorio boliviano de biota y desarrollo | bolivia |
80 | Lokichoggio PWDs Development Organization | Kenya |
81 | Marme | Argentina |
82 | MIN | Nicaragua |
83 | MIS IT | Pakistan |
84 | MOCICC | Perú |
85 | Movimiento agroecologico del chaco | Argentina |
86 | Movimiento laudato si | Perú |
87 | Movimiento Laudato Si Perú | Perú |
88 | Mujeres de Zona de Sacrificio en Resistencia Puchuncavi-Quintero Chile | Chile |
89 | NatCapAcct Ltd | Kenya & UK |
90 | Network For Community Development | Kenya |
91 | Nuas - Nucleo de Advocacy em Saúde | Brazil |
92 | Núcleo Mujeres y Teologia | Guatemala |
93 | Perú | |
94 | Observatorio Latinoamericano de Acción Climática - OLAC | América Latina |
95 | PACJA | Kenya |
96 | Paren de FumigarNos | Argentina |
97 | Paz y Esperanza Colombia | Colombia |
98 | PBFCC | Bolivia |
99 | Peque Innova | Bolivia |
100 | Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development | Pakistan |
101 | Políticas públicas, estratégias e desenvolvimento da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro | Brasil |
102 | ProBios | Suriname |
103 | Protección Animal Ecuador | Ecuador |
104 | Proyecto sobre Organización, Desarrollo, Educación e Investigación (PODER) | México |
105 | PT | Brasil |
106 | Quantum Leap | Costa Rica / Germany |
107 | Quartarone | Argentina |
108 | Red de jóvenes latinoamericana | Colombia |
109 | RED DE MUJERES EN CONSERVACIÓN | Bolivia |
110 | Red Dominicana de Justicia Fiscal | República Dominicana |
111 | RED JEC (Red Juvenil de Economía Circular) | Bolivia |
112 | RED JUVENIL ALC | PERU |
113 | Red Juvenil Latinoamérica y El Caribe | Honduras |
114 | Red Latinoamericana por Justicia Económica y Social - LATINDADD | América Latina |
115 | REMTE | Perú |
116 | Renewables First | Pakistan |
117 | RENICC | Nicaragua |
118 | Sedupo | Paraguay Paraguay |
119 | Siglo XXIII | El Salvador |
120 | Tearfund | Bolivia |
121 | Temple of Understanding | USA |
122 | Terra de Direitos | Brasil |
123 | The Alternate | Pakistan |
124 | Tierra Libre Instituto Social y Ambiental | Paraguay |
125 | UDAPT | Ecuador |
126 | UFRJ | Brazil |
127 | Univalle | Colombia |
128 | Universidad Mayor de San Andrés | Bolivia |
129 | Universidad Privada de Tacna | Perú |
130 | UNIVERSISAD AUTONOMA JUAN MISAEL SARACHO | Bolivia |
131 | VIVAT International | United States |
132 | Voluntarios Ambientalistas de la Región Amazónica | Bolivia |
133 | Water Justice and Gender | Netherlands |
134 | World Democratic Governance project association - WDG | España |
135 | World Economy, Ecology and Development - WEED | Germany |
136 | YOUNGO | Brasil |