United Arab Emirates receives surprise COP28 backing from under-threat island nation Maldives

The controversial head of this autumn’s COP28 climate conference has received surprise backing from two nations most threatened by rising sea levels.

Western politicians have called for the UAE’s Sultan Al Jaber to be removed from the position amid fears that his day job, running a fossil fuel giant, leaves him hopelessly compromised.

In an article to be published this week, and seen by this programme, Bangladesh and the Maldives have fallen in behind the UAE.