Suppressing Dissent, Deflecting Blame, Whataboutism - What To Expect From The Pending Climate Gabfest

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In response to climate advocates’ criticism that the UAE has a conflict of interest in running COP28 because it is so heavily invested in fossil fuels, pro-UAE content has attempted to redirect scrutiny onto other entities. One method of deflection is whataboutism, a climate action delay tactic that involves making counter-accusations and redirecting the conversation to other issues rather than engaging with the original issue at hand. For example, Al Jaber has attempted to counteract concerns about COP28 being held in a petrostate by pointing fingers at previous COP hosts and reminding people that 17 out of the past 27 COPs “have been hosted in fossil fuel-producing nations.” The fact that this deeply concerning practice has occurred before does not justify its continuation. Furthermore, there is a difference between a nation that produces fossil fuels and one that's rich solely because of them and continues to be one of the biggest polluters in the world.

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UAE spokespeople also deflect blame by using the fossil fuel industry tactic of shifting responsibility for addressing climate change from the industry to everyday individuals. For example, Ahmed Baharoon, executive director of the environmental science, information, and outreach sector at Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, argued, “There needs to be greater awareness among young people about the need to protect the planet for the survival of humanity. We all have a role to play in protecting our planet. Not just in the UAE or the UN, every person in every country has a duty.” Similarly, Mariam Almeraikhi, Year of Sustainability’s strategic digital manager, stated, “By taking responsibility for our everyday actions, such as portioning food, reducing red-meat consumption, avoiding single-use plastics and switching to slow fashion, we are taking power into our own hands to affect climate action.”

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Like many fossil fuel interests, UAE spokespeople also use straw man arguments, intentionally misrepresenting climate advocates’ points so they can refute ridiculous, wildly inaccurate versions of their opponents’ assertions. For example, Al Jaber has said, “We cannot unplug the energy system of today before we build the new system of tomorrow. It is simply not practical or possible. We must meet the energy demands of today, while providing access to the 800 million people without energy.” In response, Chatham House’s Karim Elgendy pointed out the obvious: “No one is saying turn it off immediately. What they're saying is don't dig any more wells, don't expand capacity."

In its intense campaign to suppress dissent, the UAE even went as far as to release an official document discouraging “offensive” media stories during COP28 before backtracking, claiming that the memo was “an old guide,” and removing it from the UN climate agency website. According to Politico, the “‘Media Content Standards’... document called for journalists and media outlets to ‘refrain from publishing anything that could offend directly or indirectly the ruling regime of the State’ or that ‘could be offensive to the national unity and social cohesion.’” As Politico noted, these deleted guidelines are part of a wider climate of hostility toward the media in the UAE. The US State Department has found that the UAE has established “serious restrictions on free expression and media, including censorship and enforcement of or threat to enforce criminal libel laws,” and has “targeted activists, journalists, politicians, and dissidents in systematic hacking campaigns.”

The UAE is not engaging directly with activists’ critiques because it has no ground to stand on. The facts clearly point to the UAE’s huge dependence on fossil fuels and clear conflict of interest in hosting COP28, so the petrostate has resorted to disingenuously mischaracterizing criticisms and clamping down on media coverage. Al Jaber’s and the UAE’s vested economic interests in the fossil fuel industry inherently contradict the goal of vital international climate negotiations, and climate advocates must be empowered to speak out against this appalling hypocrisy.

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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/11/21/2207216/-COP-28-Propaganda-Part-3-UAE-Blames-Individuals-For-Climate-Change-And-Tries-To-Quash-Criticism