It was always going to be a bit bizarre - in one of the biggest oil producing regions of the world, leaders gathered to discuss how to save the planet. And people came in their droves; more than 70,000 delegates, some reports say up to 97,000, attended in person. How did they get to this massive event? Did they fly in on aircraft that still spew emissions and which are, for the most part, powered by fossil fuel? Consider the irony of that, let alone the environmental impact of associated accommodation, energy, water and waste.

And, at the end of it all, the loudest noise came from the UAE host, managing director and group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Sultan Al Jaber. The oil exec says there is no science behind cutting fossil fuels. To phase out coal, oil and gas would take the world ‘back into caves’. He believes there is no science out there that says phasing out fossil fuel will achieve 1.5°C.

He has certainly brought a great deal more attention to the part fossil fuel plays in the degradation of the planet, and while his is not the only country to commit money into their exploration, engineering, development and expansion since the Paris Agreement, is there no better time than now to address some of the misconceptions about climate change policy, by looking at activities the business aviation industry is currently engaged in.

It has committed to life-changing R&D, and manufacture, to mitigate carbon emissions from not just its aircraft but the infrastructure, the buildings, the practices, the flight and ground operations. We should not let these achievements be dismissed so readily by someone with some oil to sell.

It also begs the question of why the Middle East is investing in eVTOL operations, NEOM, etc. Sultan Al Jaber would seem to be at odds with His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of the General CAA, who says that the civil aviation sector in the UAE is making significant strides towards enhancing the use of SAF. The region recently hosted the third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels, with the launch of the Dubai Framework for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, to achieve the goal of zero emissions by 2050.

Important as the COPs are, there are many others working towards a global clean energy transition. More than 100 countries already support a phase out of fossil fuels. And if Al Jaber wants a 1.5°C road map, well Bill Hare, the chief executive of Climate Analytics, says the International Energy Agency’s latest net zero emissions scenario says there cannot be any new fossil fuel development. The science is absolutely clear. And now is the time to shout loudly about the strides, the ingenuity and innovation that exists within the business aviation market, to perhaps help lead the way.