UAE's president-designate for UN COP28 offers full-throated defense of nation hosting climate talks

The Emirati president-designate for the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate conference has offered a full-throated defense of his nation hosting the talks. The comments Saturday by Sultan al-Jaber come after climate activists roundly criticized his appointment as the president-designate of the talks because of his role as the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. Back before a quiet, hometown crowd and an amenable moderator after attending the U.N. General Assembly, al-Jaber pointed to his 20 years of work on renewable energy as a sign that he and the Emirates represented the best chance to reach a consensus to address climate change worldwide.