Analysis: At COP28, Sultan al-Jaber got what the UAE wanted. Others leave it wanting much more

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As the United Nations COP28 climate summit ended Wednesday, Sultan al-Jaber walked out with what the United Arab Emirates wanted all along — the prestige of hosting negotiations that got the world to agree to transition away from fossil fuels while still being able to pump ever-more oil.

That left some wanting much more from the two weeks of talks, even as many praised its historic accord. But it no longer will matter to the state oil company chief executive and renewable energy advocate who embodies many of the traits that have propelled this young nation into the global spotlight.

Al-Jaber, who as president of COP28 facilitated the negotiations, faced criticism and scrutiny from the moment he took the position due to his oil ties. He tried to disarm critics among the delegates through an Emirati tradition, at one point convening a “majlis," or a traditional ruler's sitting room to listen to concerns that he said he wanted not to have been laundered through layers of diplomacy and bureaucracy. Most still were.

But after an initial proposal drew screams, al-Jaber and his entourage presented another early Wednesday that gained the consensus required in the COP process.