In a shocking revelation, it has come to light that the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company, Adnoc, was able to access and read emails from the Cop28 climate summit office. The Cop28 office had falsely claimed that its email system was separate from Adnoc, but technical analysis proved otherwise.

The fact that Sultan Al Jaber held a dual role as the president of Cop28 and CEO of Adnoc has been widely criticized as dangerous and scandalous. This conflict of interest has raised concerns about the influence of fossil fuel companies in climate negotiations.

It is not just Adnoc that has been accused of exerting undue influence on climate negotiations. Fossil fuel companies, in general, have had significant influence on what information is presented to the public regarding climate change. In one instance, a fossil fuel corporation was given advice on responding to a media inquiry by accessing emails from the UN climate summit office.

The appointment of an oil corporation as a leader in phasing out fossil fuels is seen as a scandal. The UNFCCC secretariat must take control of the process and reflect statements from the UN secretary general warning of a climate disaster. Ignoring the influence of fossil fuel companies in climate negotiations risks perpetuating the climate emergency.

It is high time that the world takes climate change seriously and brings about real change. The influence of fossil fuel companies must be curbed, and the focus must be on renewable energy sources. The future of our planet depends on it.