Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

We do not bring arsonists to a firefighting convention, unless it is COP28. How many fossil fuel lobbyists have access to these climate negotiations? The answer is 2,456. That is four times the number of oil and gas industry representatives who were at COP27, which itself was a record. How many fossil fuel lobbyists are attending in comparison with representatives of indigenous communities and communities who are on the front line of the climate battle? The answer is that there are seven for every one. Who is the president of COP28? It is Sultan Al-Jaber, the chair of the Abu Dhabi national oil company, which pumped 2.7 million barrels of oil in 2021 and plans to double that by 2027. The BBC reported that he plans to use the COP presidency to strike oil and gas deals with 15 nations. It is blindingly clear that the people who run the world, including the COP, are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Revolutionary change will be needed if climate disaster is to be averted.

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