Moving away from fossils
After “disgusting” OPEC letter – Guterres intervenes in climate conference dispute
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), speaks during a visit to the UN office in Nairobi (archive image)
© Khalil Senosi / AP / DPA
At the World Climate Conference in Dubai, a call from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) caused controversy. UN Secretary General António Guterres is now taking a clear position on site.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has intervened in the dispute at the World Climate Conference in Dubai about a global move away from fossil fuels. “Despite promises and commitments, our climate is in collapse,” Guterres said on Sunday at the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital. “Emissions are at an all-time high and fossil fuels continue to be their main driver.”
The UN Secretary General emphasized that there are good alternatives to coal, oil and gas: “Renewable energy is cheap, clean and infinite.” Energy sources such as wind and solar could “meet the world’s growing energy needs without poisoning our environment and suffocating our planet.” Guterres called on oil and gas companies and “their supporters” to “use their enormous resources to lead the renewables revolution.” To the negotiators in He called on Dubai to agree on “deep emissions reductions in line with the 1.5 degree limit”. This is “the only path not only to climate sustainability, but also to economic sustainability.”
Letter from OPEC states causes controversy
At the UN climate conference in Dubai, there is currently a debate about a commitment to a global move away from all fossil fuels. Oil states like Saudi Arabia in particular are firmly against it. The Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) added fuel to the fire with a letter to the 13 member states and their ten allies in the OPEC+ alliance. Haitham al-Ghais called on the OPEC+ negotiators in Dubai to “proactively” and decisively oppose decisions to move away from fossil fuels. It was “disgusting” that the OPEC countries were opposing ambitious decisions in the climate negotiations, said the Environment Minister of Spain, the current EU Council Presidency country, Teresa Ribera, in Dubai on Saturday.
Watch the video: 28th UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai – how is oil production going in the climate crisis?
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on China and Saudi Arabia not to stand in the way of ambitious decisions at the climate conference. Anyone who strives for a leading role internationally must also “take responsibility for the countries that are already literally up to their necks in water, namely for the small island states where people are already being evacuated because the coasts are collapsing,” said the Green Party politician in an interview with Deutschlandfunk published on Sunday.
China and Saudi Arabia have so far resisted ambitious formulations in the final text of the climate conference. The most contentious issue is whether they can agree on an exit from coal, oil and gas. Baerbock was positive about the fact that this dispute was taking place. “That makes it so clear what a great opportunity we currently have, that everyone knows that things can’t continue as they are.”
The 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) is officially scheduled to end on Tuesday. However, Emirati COP28 President Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber warned on Saturday evening that negotiators from almost 200 countries were making progress, “but not quickly enough and not satisfactorily enough.”