Saudi Aramco employee named lead author of global climate report

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🗞️ Driving the news: Mustafa Babiker, a Sudanese economist and long-time employee of Saudi Aramco, has been appointed as a coordinating lead author for the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report
• Babiker will co-lead a chapter on “policies, governance, and international cooperation” for reducing fossil fuel use and curbing emissions
• His appointment, confirmed Monday by IPCC Chair Jim Skea, comes amid concerns about potential fossil fuel industry influence on the world’s most authoritative climate science body

🔭 The context: The IPCC assembles hundreds of experts to produce comprehensive assessments of climate science, which inform international negotiations and policy
• While Babiker has previously contributed to IPCC work and holds strong academic credentials, his nomination by Saudi Arabia drew sharp criticism from climate advocates
• Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore warned it risked undermining the IPCC’s credibility, given Saudi Aramco’s role as the largest historical corporate contributor to climate change

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The inclusion of an oil company employee in drafting key sections of the IPCC report highlights the tension between ensuring broad expertise and safeguarding independence from vested interests
• The chapter Babiker will help lead explicitly addresses the role of corporations in global warming — raising questions about conflicts of interest
• At stake is public trust in the neutrality and integrity of the IPCC, whose reports shape global climate negotiations and national climate strategies

⏭️ What's next: The IPCC’s upcoming assessment will be published in several installments over the next five years, directly informing the UN climate talks and national policies
• Close scrutiny is expected of how Babiker and his co-authors address the responsibilities of fossil fuel companies and the governance of their transition
• Advocacy groups are likely to pressure the IPCC to reinforce transparency and safeguards against industry influence in the drafting process

💬 One quote: “The fossil fuel industry and its captive political allies will do everything in their power to try to undermine climate science.” – Al Gore, former U.S. Vice President

📈 One stat: Saudi Aramco is considered by NGO InfluenceMap to be the largest single corporate contributor to climate change in history, due to emissions from its extracted oil and gas

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of Aramco and its peers TotalEnergies, BP, and Chevron

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