Many are already questioning the government’s commitment to tackling climate change, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rowed back on a number of pledges to tackle the climate emergency in a bid to appease his right-wing Tory base.
In a sign of how close the government is to the right-wing press, the UK’s events at this year’s COP28 summit will be hosted by a Daily Mail events firm that specialises in organising exhibitions for the oil and gas industry.
The revelation has been made by DeSmog, which highlights that dmg events, which is owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), will be paid £545,000 for “commissioning and delivering pavilion and office space for the UK’s COP28 delegation taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)”.
That a firm which has a history of organising a number of events for the oil and gas industry has been awarded the contract at a crucial climate summit where world leaders are looking at ways to work together to reduce carbon emissions and tackle the climate emergency, will cause further embarrassment to the government.
Many are already questioning the government’s commitment to tackling climate change, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rowed back on a number of pledges to tackle the climate emergency in a bid to appease his right-wing Tory base.
It’s also been revealed that the £545,000 contract was awarded to dmg events without being advertised.
DeSmog reports: “The government told DeSmog that dmg events was providing “logistical support” for all countries represented at COP28, suggesting that officials were not allowed to open the contract to competition.”
It also adds: “In its annual accounts, the DMGT lists the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) as the company’s biggest event. Hosted by Adnoc, the UAE’s state-owned oil and gas firm, ADIPEC is reportedly the world’s largest energy exhibition.
“It appears that dmg events has worked on ADIPEC since at least 2012.
“Adnoc intends to increase its oil production by more than any other fossil fuel firm in the world, according to data from the Global Oil and Gas Exit List (Gogel).”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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