Lawmakers across America and Europe are calling for the oil executive sultan presiding over this year’s international climate summit to stand down.

In a letter from January 13, the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) announced that Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, had been appointed as COP 28 president-designate.

This has sparked global controversy, with more than 100 US and EU lawmakers addressing a joint letter to the UN in complaint.

In the letter, they warn EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and US president Joe Biden of the dangers of allowing fossil-fuel companies to exert “undue influence” over the environmental conference.

"The decision to name as president of COP28 the chief executive of one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies — a company that has recently announced plans to add 7.6 billion barrels of oil to its production in the coming years, representing the fifth-largest increase in the world — risks undermining the negotiations,” the letter states.

While the leadership of COP28 is facing criticism, here’s a look at what we know about COP28, being held in the UAE in a few months’ time.

When is COP28?

The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference will convene from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The multi-day conference will include talks and interactive sessions focused on the future of climate action, as well as talks from political, environmental, and scientific leaders.

Who will be attending COP28?

A formal attendee list has not yet been made public, but it’s expected that major world leaders will attend, as well as leading scientists, journalists, and a strong delegation of public stakeholders and members of the public.

For example, COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, saw President Biden, King Charles, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and other European world leaders in attendance.

Environmentally minded celebrities are also known to attend, with sustainable designer Stella McCartney and actor Leonardo DiCaprio making appearances at COP27, speaking with other delegates, such as King Charles.