Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, President of COP28, has received an award from CERAWeek by S&P Global, recognising his leadership in sustainable energy.
Dr. Al Jaber received the ‘CERAWeek Leadership Award for Building Global Consensus towards a Sustainable Energy Future’ in recognition of delivering the UAE Consensus, which has emerged as the defining point of reference for global climate action, giving clear direction to countries on how to keep 1.5°C within reach, transforming agreements into tangible outcomes, and ensuring global implementation.
The award was presented by Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman of S&P Global and CERAWeek Conference Chair, to recognise the COP28 President’s extraordinary act of leadership which will have a global impact.
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“The UAE Consensus that emerged from Dubai outlined pathways, never so concrete, for governments and industries to work together to achieve what is nothing short of a historic transformation of the world’s energy systems. Dr. Sultan emphasised inclusiveness and engagement as the necessary foundation for climate solutions. This was not easy to implement. But in succeeding Dr. Sultan established a new vector for future COPs,” Yergin said.
“On behalf of my leadership and the people of the UAE, I am deeply honoured to accept this award for the UAE Consensus,” Dr. Al Jaber, who attended the conference virtually, said.
Achieving UAE Consensus
Multilateralism, inclusivity, and the spirit of partnership, which were at the core of the COP28 conference, were key to achieving the UAE Consensus. The UAE Consensus delivered a series of firsts, including a commitment from all parties to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, and also set time-bound targets to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy capacity by 2030.
“In a world too often held back by conflict, the UAE Consensus brought nations together to take a giant step forward for climate progress,” Dr. Al Jaber said. “Countries set aside self-interest for the common goal of keeping 1.5°C within reach. And multilateralism overcame geopolitics to produce an unprecedented agreement for a fair, orderly and responsible energy transition.
Dr. Al Jaber credited the spirit of climate actionism and optimism that COP28 UAE inspired, by bringing every actor to the table to help deliver results, from private and public sectors, civil society and faith leaders, youth and indigenous peoples. “In short, COP28 was a success because of its full inclusivity. Everyone had a seat at the table. Everyone was invited to contribute, and everyone’s contribution was welcome, including those from industry, and in particular, the oil and gas industry,” he told the attendees.
Role of oil and gas sector
Dr. Al Jaber emphasised that the oil and gas sector is a critical player in addressing climate change. During COP28 the Presidency launched the Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Charter (OGDC), with signatories aligning around net-zero emissions by or before 2050, zero-out methane emissions by 2030, eliminate routine flaring by 2030, and continue working towards industry best practices in emission reduction.
So far 52 companies, representing almost 40 percent of global oil production, have signed up. National Oil Companies (NOCs) represent over 60 percent of signatories – the largest-ever number of NOCs to commit to a decarbonisation initiative – alongside international oil companies (IOCs).
“At last year’s CERAWeek I delivered a clear call to action for oil and gas to step up. In fact, I said, ‘Houston, we have a problem’. Today, I am pleased to say that in Dubai at COP28 this industry proved that they are essential to the solution, and can actually drive it,” he said.
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