The BBC has reported that the United Arab Emirates planned to use the meetings it had scheduled with representatives of foreign governments as part of its COP28 activities to also raise talking points on commercial opportunities for both its national oil and gas company (Adnoc) and its national renewable energy company (Masdar). COP28 president Dr Sultan al-Jaber is the chief executive of both state-owned energy companies.

Some of the talking points in question, revealed from leaked documents, were that the UAE was “willing to jointly evaluate international LNG opportunities” in Mozambique, Canada and Australia with Chinese representatives, and that Adnoc “stands ready” to support Colombia in developing its fossil fuel resources. In all, fossil fuel opportunities were to be discussed with 15 countries. By comparison, renewable energy opportunities through Masdar were to be discussed with 20 countries, including the UK, United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kenya.

The BBC is unaware how many of the planned commercial talking points were actually raised when the meetings were held – for some nations, it appears that they were not raised; for at least one, it appears as though they were. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has told the BBC that COP presidents are expected to act “without bias, prejudice, favouritism, caprice, self-interest, preference or deference, strictly based on sound, independent and fair judgement”, and that they are expected to ensure that “personal views and convictions do not compromise or appear to compromise their role and functions as a UNFCCC officer”.

The BBC also notes that at a press conference in October, COP28 director-general Majid al-Suwaidi said the UAE’s climate summit team was “fully independent” of both Adnoc and Masdar. The revelations, though perhaps not entirely surprising, are a poor curtain raiser to the conference itself.