Cop28 president says there is "no science" behind demands to phase out fossil fuels.

Cop28 president Sultan Al Jaber has claimed there is "no science" to suggest a fossil fuel phase-out is needed to limit global warming to 1.5C, the Guardian and Center for Climate Reporting can reveal. Al Jaber also said that phasing out fossil fuels will not enable sustainable development "unless you want to take the world back to the caves". The comments were "incredibly disturbing" and "bordering on climate denial", the scientists said, and contradicted the position of UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Al Jaber made the comments in blunt responses to questions from Mary Robinson, president of the Elders Group and former UN Special Envoy for Climate Change, during a live online event on November 21. In addition to leading Cop28 in Dubai, Al Jaber is also the chief executive of the UAE's state oil company Adnoc, which many observers see as a serious conflict of interest. (Damian Carrington and Ben Stockton)