Imagine hosting a major football final featuring crowd scuffles, bad behaviour by players, angry coaches, blame for the referee, a scrappy game where the fans can’t see most of the action, and a penalty shoot-out that neither team wins.
The annual Cop climate conference is something like that.
Mostly preparatory technical negotiations on November’s Cop28 in Dubai will begin in Bonn on Monday.
On May 23, some members of the US Congress and European Parliament signed a letter to US President Joe Biden, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the UN Secretary General and the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – not to the UAE, as hosts.
They made two demands: that Dr Sultan Al Jaber, President-designate of Cop28, be withdrawn; and that corporate interests should be scrutinised and provide audited reports on their political influencing activities.
The annual Cops were not always so high-profile, or contentious.
Watch: Six months to Cop28: Here's what to expect at the climate summit in Dubai
Cop1 in Berlin in 1995, presided over by a promising young German environment minister named Angela Merkel, had 3,969 attendees, more than half of them media. Cop3 in Kyoto, which gave rise to the famous protocol, attracted about 10,000.
About 10,500 delegates and 13,500 observers attended Cop15’s “Hopenhagen” in the Danish capital in 2009.
But it ended in grave disappointment, a failure to agree on a global climate pact to replace the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol. Blame was widely spread: the US under President Barack Obama, China, India and hosts Denmark were all accused.
More than 30,000 appeared at Cop21 in 2015, when the crucial Paris Agreement gave new life and direction to global climate policy.
Cop27 in Sharm El Sheikh last year drew the biggest crowds so far: 49,704. But more than 80,000 people are expected in Dubai in November.
Cop has swollen beyond its original purpose: now each annual event is at once an international climate negotiation, a venue for protest and activism, and a green trade fair.
The confusion between these three aspects partly explains lawmakers’ concerns.
Their letter advances Dr Al Jaber’s role as head of Adnoc as the argument against him; he is not credited as founding chief executive and now chairman of Masdar, one of the world’s largest international renewable developers.
Through initiatives such as Masdar, its highly successful solar and nuclear power programmes, and the Middle East’s first commitment to a net-zero date, the UAE probably has among the most constructive approaches to climate change of any major oil exporter.
Most Cop presidents have been politicians, often environment ministers, sometimes prime ministers. This has not obviously produced better results.
The closest to Dr Al Jaber’s profile is probably the Cop18 president, Abdullah Al Attiyah, Qatar’s former energy minister and architect of its liquefied natural gas industry.
Doha was relatively successful, with an extension of the Kyoto Protocol, and important recognition that climate-vulnerable countries were owed financial compensation by polluting countries.
The missive repeats the zombie statistic initially created by Global Witness that 636 “fossil lobbyists” attended last year’s Cop27.
Their definition was so broad as to snare almost anyone: attendees from an African utility that uses mostly hydropower, think tanks on sustainability, and developers of solar, wind, hydrogen, nuclear or carbon capture from companies that have other activities.
This is a clue to the signatories’ mindset: an inquisition looking for heretics who might doubt that anything other than renewables and electric cars is required to tackle the climate problem.
Since virtually all credible scenarios from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for keeping global warming below 1.5ºC include significant shares of carbon capture, nuclear power and carbon dioxide removal, any organisation opposing these would fall under the letter’s scrutiny of “proven vested interests that contradict the goals of the Paris Agreement” – including most environmental campaigning groups, such as Greenpeace.
The legislators’ audience is not the UAE. Their intention is to win battles back home, where the sole obstacle to climate progress is portrayed as the nefarious influence of fossil fuel lobbies.
For the negotiation, key issues include delivering much more finance to developing countries for climate adaptation, and committing to triple global renewable energy by 2030
Robin Mills
In fairness, many in the US petroleum and coal industries and their politicians have a shameful record on downplaying or distorting climate science and opposing action.
But the Nationally Determined Contributions created as part of the Paris process are exactly that – national.
If regions such as the EU continue to import oil, that is not the fault or the responsibility of oil producers who have increased their capacity in response to political and market requests.
It’s remarkably western-centric to misread Dr Al Jaber as an Emirati equivalent of the chief executives of ExxonMobil or coalminer Peabody.
Here, a lesson from Copenhagen should be instructive: Mr Obama’s team took their failure to heart, got past the blame game to understand the needs of China and India, and eventually secured the Paris Agreement.
So what can the UAE do to run a successful event – the “Cop of implementation” it aspires to? Following on from Dubai Expo 2020, there is no doubt it will be efficiently organised. It should give room to diverse and dissenting voices, as the Cop28 team has already said it will do.
For the negotiation, key issues include delivering much more finance to developing countries for climate adaptation, and committing to triple global renewable energy by 2030, as Dr Al Jaber has outlined as a priority.
The global stock take, a process every five years, will show that despite progress, we are well short of our mountainously challenging goals. More constructively, the stock take should identify the reasons for failure, and solutions.
Much attention will focus on the wording of declarations. The European Council advocates “energy systems free of unabated fossil fuels well ahead of 2050”. Carbon capture and storage, carbon dioxide removal, and hydrogen are part of such systems.
With a suitable definition of abatement, this is a goal the UAE can support, as should China, India, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Japan, the US, the UK, Norway and many Middle Eastern and African states.
Such a broad coalition would counter allegations of “greenwashing” or fossil fuel lobbying. Even if the American and European lawmakers’ letter raised concerns, the best answer will be real, undeniable progress.
Robin M. Mills is chief executive of Qamar Energy and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis
Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Upcoming games
SUNDAY
Brighton and Hove Albion v Southampton (5.30pm)
Leicester City v Everton (8pm)
MONDAY
Burnley v Newcastle United (midnight)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.0-litre%2C%20flat%20six-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseven-speed%20PDK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E510hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh634%2C200%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More on animal trafficking
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
How Voiss turns words to speech
The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen
The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser
This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen
A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB
The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free
Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards
Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser
Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages
At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness
More than 90 per cent live in developing countries
The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device
Specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%20turbo%204-cylinder%20%2F%202.0%20turbo%204-cylinder%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20148bhp%20%2F%20328bhp%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20250Nm%20%2F%20420Nm%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20TBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
All%20The%20Light%20We%20Cannot%20See%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESteven%20Knight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMark%20Ruffalo%2C%20Hugh%20Laurie%2C%20Aria%20Mia%20Loberti%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
