The Saudi Minister of Energy said he was “absolutely” opposed to an agreement on the exit from fossil fuels at COP28, setting the tone for the difficult negotiations taking place in Dubai.
The “exit” or “reduction” of energies such as oil, gas or coal are at the heart of fierce discussions in the United Arab Emirates, which is hosting the environmental summit. Both options appear in the first draft of the text so far, but Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said his country, the world’s largest oil exporter, “absolutely disagrees.” , in an interview in Bloomergbroadcast Monday.
Arms exchange between Antonio Guterres and Abdulaziz ben Salmane
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres insisted last week that “the 1.5°C limit is only sustainable if we eventually stop burning all fossil fuels.” The Saudi prince replied: “I would like to challenge all those who say publicly that we must [sortir des énergies fossiles], I’ll give you their name and number, call them and ask them how they plan to do it. » China and Russia are also opposed to any mention of fossil fuels in the text.