The president of the UN climate talks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reiterated his faith in climate science on Monday, a day after a leaked video showed him questioning the scientific consensus that a fossil fuel phaseout is necessary to curb global warming and prevent the worst effects of climate change.

"We're here because we very much believe and respect the science," said COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber, who also heads the state-run oil giant, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, when asked about his remarks in the video. "Everything this presidency has been working on is focused on and centered around the science."

Al-Jaber also acknowledged that global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by 43% by 2030 as part of efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times, calling the efforts to phase out fossil fuels "essential."

'No science' behind fossil fuel phaseout: al-Jaber

On Sunday, the nonprofit Centre for Climate Reporting and The Guardian newspaper reported that al-Jaber said in a video conference with UN representatives in November there was "no science" to prove it is necessary to phase out fossil fuels in order to limit global warming.

"I am factual and I respect the science, and there is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says that the phaseout of fossil fuels is what's going to achieve 1.5 [degrees]," he said at the SHE Changes Climate online conference on November 21, calling such discussion "alarmist."

Al-Jaber also reportedly claimed that development without the use of fossil energy was not possible "if you don't want to catapult the world into the Stone Age." When asked by The Guardian to clarify the statement, the COP28 presidency pointed out that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said fossil fuels will still play a role in future energy scenarios, albeit a smaller one.

The global phaseout of coal, oil and gas is proving to be controversial at the Dubai climate talks. The UAE and several other countries have tried to shift the discussion to emerging technologies such as CO2 storage or capture, arguing that fossil fuels can still play an important role in the world's energy mix. But experts have said these technologies are very expensive, and can not yet be scaled up to counter global heating.

"The science is clear. The 1.5 degree target is only possible if we finally stop burning fossil fuels," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the start of COP28 on Thursday.

Report alleges UAE planned to use COP28 to strike oil deals

Ahead of the annual climate talks, which run from November 30 to December 12, the COP28 president also denied a BBC report citing briefing documents that alleged the UAE planned to use the summit to strike oil and gas deals with 15 nations.

"These allegations are false, not true, incorrect and not accurate," said al-Jaber at a press conference on November 29, calling them "an attempt to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency."

"So please for once, respect who we are, respect what we have achieved over the years and respect the fact that we have been clear open and clean and honest and transparent on how we want to conduct this COP process."

UAE pledges billions in green finance funds

Also on Monday, banks in the UAE pledged to mobilize 1 trillion dirham (around €250 billion/$270 billion) in green finance to help fund the energy transition, climate adaptation and disaster relief.

"At this pivotal moment it is my great honor to announce a landmark commitment that, fulfilling the UAE ambition, our UBF banking, national banks, have collectively pledged to mobilize over 1 trillion dirham," said Abdul Aziz Abdulla al-Ghurair, the chair of the country's banking federation, as reported by the Reuters news agency.

The pledge joins a growing list of major funding commitments being made at COP28, including $100 million from Germany.

cmk/fb (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)