COP28 is being held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the choice of location has caused some controversy (disagreement).

The UAE is one of the top ten oil-producing nations. Oil is a fossil fuel, which when burnt, releases greenhouse-gases into the atmosphere that cause global warming.

Some people think that because of this, it’s a bad decision to let the UAE host COP28, a conference all about finding solutions to climate change. 

Activist Greta Thunberg has criticised COP before, saying it’s mostly “greenwashing”. That means she thinks world leaders are holding COP to make it look like they’re taking action on climate change, when they really aren’t doing very much.

Another reason some people aren’t happy is because the person who has been selected as the COP28 chief, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, is CEO of a big oil business called the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

However, some people think that having COP28 in Dubai is a good thing. 

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber argues he is the best person to make action happen because he has worked in the industry for a long time and can push for more renewable forms of energy.

Others think it could be a chance to shine a light on how the UAE can become more sustainable, and that it’s also an opportunity for the nation to learn from other countries that are doing good things for the planet.