French Energy Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher on Saturday declared herself “stunned” after the group of oil-exporting countries OPEC urged its members to thwart any deal on fossil fuels at the COP28 conference.
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“I am shocked by these statements from OPEC+. And I am angry,” she declared from the UN climate conference in Dubai, adding that “OPEC+’s position endangers the most vulnerable countries and the poorest populations, who are the first victims of this situation.
Pannier-Runacher stated that he “expects that the COP28 presidency will not be influenced by these statements and will reach an agreement that affirms a clear objective of phasing out fossil fuels.”
OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais this week sent a letter to the group’s 13 members and its ten allies after negotiators meeting in Dubai released a draft agreement that included calls for the progressive elimination of fossil fuels.
In the letter sent Wednesday, Ghais urged the group to “proactively reject any text or formula that targets energy, i.e. fossil fuels, rather than emissions,” warning that “undue and disproportionate pressure against fossil fuels may reach a tipping point.
Unpublished letter from OPEC in climate negotiations
The letter has drawn the ire of activists and the High Ambition Coalition, a broad group of nations ranging from Barbados to France to Kenya and the Pacific island states.
The Spanish Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, described the call as “disgusting.”
It is the first time that the OPEC secretariat has intervened in the UN climate negotiations with a letter of this type, Alden Meyer, an analyst at the E3G think tank, told Reuters. “It indicates a hint of panic,” he added.
Saudi Arabia is OPEC’s main producer and the de facto leader of the organization, Russia is a member of the OPEC+ group.
By insisting on focusing on emissions rather than fossil fuels, the two countries appeared to be relying on the promise of costly carbon capture technology, which the UN climate science panel says cannot replace reductions. of the use of fossil fuels around the world.
“Many issues to resolve”
Other countries, such as India and China, have not explicitly supported the elimination of fossil fuels at COP28, but have backed the popular call to boost renewable energy.
Xie Zhenhue, China’s top climate representative, described this year’s summit as the toughest of his career.
“I have participated in these climate negotiations for 16 years,” he told reporters. “The most difficult meeting is this year. There are so many issues to resolve.”
He said there was little chance of the summit being called a success if nations failed to agree on language on the future of fossil fuels.
Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav demanded “fairness and justice” in any deal and argued that rich countries should lead global climate action.
Broader diplomatic grievances were also voiced at Saturday’s podium, clouding the attention paid to global warming.
A Russian representative said in a speech that Moscow was studying whether some of the roughly $300 billion in gold reserves frozen by the West after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could be used for a climate damage fund for developing countries.
Meanwhile, China complained about what it called unacceptable talks about Taiwan’s participation in the talks. And a Palestinian representative denounced Israel’s war in Gaza, saying the conflict made it difficult to focus on climate change efforts.
With Reuters and AFP
Adapted from its English original
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