WASHINGTON  – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today released the following statement on the report that the COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber plans to leverage his role overseeing the global climate summit to pursue oil and gas deals for Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (ADNOC), the United Arab Emirates’ giant, state-owned oil company, which he also leads as CEO:

“This bombshell reporting on secretive sideline deals to boost oil and gas production — and fossil fuel emissions — raises alarms about the integrity of the entire summit.

“For this COP to reach the outcome our planet so desperately needs, the public needs greater transparency into the often-clandestine fossil fuel influence pervasive at COPs past.  The UN has already begun requiring participants to either disclose their fossil fuel affiliations or publicly refuse to do so — an important first step.  The UN should next strengthen its position and require companies participating to submit an audited climate policy influencing statement so the public can get an accurate picture of where corporations stand on climate where it really matters:  in Congress and in policy-making bodies around the globe.

“COPs are the world’s best shot to address the global climate crisis.  We can’t let COP28 fall victim to fossil fuel industry malfeasance and greed before the summit even starts.”