UAE’s al-Jaber promises young activists he’ll listen; says nothing about fossil fuel ties

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

BONN, Germany (AP) — The United Arab Emirates official tapped to head the next global climate summit pledged Thursday to listen to young people demanding a place at the table when negotiators gather in the Gulf nation this fall. But in his first appearance at a United Nations climate meeting this year, the UAE’s Minister of Industry Sultan al-Jaber offered no response to criticism of his links with fossil fuel interests. Experts say the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius requires carbon emissions to be halved by 2030 and reach ‘net zero’ by mid-century. Much of the task of coralling countries into making painful but necessary cuts to their emissions will fall to al-Jaber during the talks that begin Nov. 30.