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This piece was originally published in , the blog of the Environmental Change and Security Program.
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The annual multilateral Conference of the Parties (COP) has become one of the most important meetings on the global agenda. So the fact that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host COP28 starting this week in Dubai鈥攐n the coattails of another Arab country, Egypt, hosting COP27 in 2022鈥攊s a big deal. Bringing such important international meetings to the Global South is a step forward in decentering and reorienting global climate action.

Yet other questions of orientation also attend the UAE鈥檚 taking center stage at this year鈥檚 climate summit. The UAE is the , and COP28 president Dr. Sultan al-Jaber also heads the country鈥檚 main state oil company. Indeed, under his leadership, negotiations of oil contracts will be . Political dissidents in the UAE continue to be jailed for their opinions. And the UAE is a major actor in the war in Yemen, which has created one of the world鈥檚 most dire humanitarian crises.

There are larger regional developments to navigate as well. This year鈥檚 meeting in Dubai is taking place in the context of the devastating bombardments carried out in Gaza by Israel, notably the UAE鈥檚 main partner in the Abraham Accords. In the last month, the war鈥檚 toll on civilians in Gaza has been tragically high, with nearly 15,000 killed鈥攁nd more than 6,000 of them children. , often sanctioned by Israeli officials, also continues to surge, targeting Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank. The UAE has also extended an invitation to attend COP28 to the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, who is accused of committing war crimes against his population.

Thus, the shadows of war, violence, and human rights violations will have an impact on the conference. Is there room to make progress on the climate over the next few weeks in this context?

From COP27 to COP28

The COP27 held in Egypt in 2022 ended with a few missed opportunities鈥攁nd one breakthrough. Discussions about agrifood systems, which emit about .Yet despite this new focus, countries failed to adopt a systems-based approach that would have tackled the structural imbalances resulting from rising food prices. Instead, they opted for a supply-based approach.

While the topics of food security and agriculture will also be part of the COP28 agenda, the main notable achievement of COP27 was the creation of a to support the vulnerable countries most impacted by the changing climate. (Most of these countries are in the Global South.)

On paper, the goals and key priorities adopted for COP28 are promising. In the president鈥檚 , Dr. al-Jaber outlined several key goals for this year鈥檚 conference, including the conclusion of the Global Stocktake鈥攁 comprehensive global assessment of countries鈥� progress in reaching climate goals called for by the Paris Agreement. This oversight process will be the completed at a COP. A synthesis report released in September highlighted how far off the parties are from limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Priority will also be placed on key issues such as financing the Loss and Damage Fund at this year鈥檚 COP28鈥攊ncluding the amount and the sources of funding. The conference president鈥檚 statements have reiterated commitments 听and also highlighted the importance of examining . Lessons learned from regarding conservation efforts will also be on the agenda. And COP28 will tackle , an effort that links these two issues together for the first time at the annual climate summit.

The goals outlined above will be considered within an overall focus on inclusivity in the . This emphasis nods to the COP28 presidency鈥檚 stated objective to 鈥溾�� while stressing a 鈥溾�� approach to the global energy transition.

A 鈥淧ragmatic鈥� and 鈥淚nclusive鈥� Approach to the Oil Industry?

The objective of pragmatism merits additional examination. How will such a 鈥減ragmatic鈥� approach be operationalized within the global climate agenda? Does pragmatism imply that oil-based economies will continue to do business as usual in an allegedly 鈥渃lean way?鈥� (This is the process of decarbonizing not by phasing down, but rather by 鈥渃leaning up,鈥� which was advocated by .)

One can also wonder just how 鈥渃lean鈥� oil production can truly become. Twenty years ago, the practice of flaring, or burning of waste gas during oil drilling was banned. But the , with dire consequences for its own population鈥檚 health.

Yet even if one can entertain the idea of a pragmatic approach, it does seem also to be heavily weighted towards economic gain. As documents revealed, the UAE was planning to use its role as the host of the COP to carry out 鈥減rivate business talks鈥� with 15 nations to strike oil deals. The global assessment conducted at COP28 will certainly reflect the fact that are a significant barrier to limiting global warming. Considering this evidence, how truly pragmatic is the approach being put at the center of the COP28 agenda? Or, perhaps, for whom is it pragmatic?

Similar commitments to climate action made in the past have not been met. Take the established at COP15 in 2009, with global pledges of $100 billion per year. While this was considered to be a groundbreaking achievement, countries soon reckoned with the legacy of differentiated responsibilities between industrialized and non-industrialized nations. Wealthier nations agreed to pay their less prosperous counterparts $100 billion every year until 2020 to help them make a green energy transition. However,听only of this annual sum has been honored since the commitment was made.

Looming in the Background: Human Rights, War, and Insecurity

In light of the COP28 president鈥檚 statements regarding 鈥溾�� and 鈥�,鈥� it is also vital to remember that the UAE has a long history of jailing its own dissidents. Amnesty International and others have to allow for the full participation of civil society and the release of political detainees as part of its task of hosting the global conference.

The commitment to obtain urgent funding for victims of climate change and conflict, as well as tackling food insecurity, public health, and support for indigenous communities, also merits some scrutiny. This is especially true since the UAE has played a major role in The UAE-Saudi Arabia coalition has created large-scale , and has destroyed natural ecosystems in its illegal annexation of for tourism and military purposes.

The war in Gaza is a major regional development that must be navigated at COP28. The UAE has done little to challenge its Abraham Accords ally, Israel, as its all-out war has had disastrous consequences on Gaza鈥檚 , destroyed entire systems of , and exacted a devastatingly high civilian death toll.

It is interesting to note that the UAE鈥檚 recent calling for a cease fire references a 鈥渢wo-state solution鈥澨齛nd 鈥渢he establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.鈥� This position was strikingly absent from discussion when the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020. Yet despite calling for Palestinian rights, the UAE has not severed ties with Israel despite its attacks on Gaza, claiming that 鈥�.鈥� Indeed, the Emirati government is one of the few states (along with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain) to calls made at the Organization of Islamic Conference to implement punitive measures against Israel, including the restriction of airspace and the use of oil trade.

Adding to its push towards regional normalization, the UAE also extended an invitation to Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad to attend COP28. The Assad regime has tortured and killed hundreds of thousands of civilians in the aftermath of the 2011 uprising, and 130,000 more civilians are still missing to this day. In his military operations, the Syrian ruler has resorted to chemical arms and targeted civilian and water infrastructure. A is currently being waged by civil society activists, who demand accountability for Assad鈥檚 war crimes and the retraction of the invitation by the UAE.

Leading up to COP28, the United Arab Emirates has worked indefatigably to depoliticize both its leadership of the conference and the cause of global climate action in general. Rather, it has sought to bolster its own international image and its own desire for a 鈥減ragmatic鈥� approach. 听

As the conference begins this week, all eyes will be on Dubai. And even if the host choses to ignore them, the elephants in the room will remain at center stage to remind the world that nothing about climate change is apolitical.

The views expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not reflect an official position of 澳门六合彩.听