Delegates from every country in the world are meeting today at the beginning of the Cop28 climate talks in Dubai, hosted by the United Arab Emirates. The scale of the challenge ahead of them is immense: phasing out the fossil fuels that power the global economy before a planetary tipping point is reached.
As the Guardian’s environment editor, Damian Carrington, tells Michael Safi this week, that task has got even tougher. It has emerged that Saudi Arabia is driving a huge global investment plan to create demand for its oil and gas in developing countries. Critics say the plan is designed to get countries “hooked on its harmful products”.
Meanwhile, it also emerged that, according to leaked documents, the hosts of the UN Cop28 summit planned to use climate meetings with other countries to promote deals for UAE oil and gas companies.
Photograph: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
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