Some of the world’s largest oil-producing countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, are resisting discussions on reducing fossil fuel use at the upcoming COP29 climate summit, according to Western negotiators who spoke to the Financial Times.
These nations, which also include Bolivia, are impeding dialogue on the gradual reduction of fossil fuels. The COP29 summit is scheduled for November in Azerbaijan, a country that relies heavily on oil and gas revenues for its economic development.
The previous summit, COP28, concluded with a compromise statement that, for the first time, urged all parties to move away from fossil fuels. This agreement was reached after extended debates and marked a significant step forward.
The United Arab Emirates, a leading OPEC producer and exporter, hosted the event and celebrated the consensus as a historic step towards emission reduction.
The final declaration from last year’s summit included a clear call for transitioning away from fossil fuels, a first in such documents. However, the language was less forceful than some had hoped, with terms like “phasing out” or “phasing down” being toned down due to opposition from oil-exporting countries, particularly Saudi Arabia.
The text from the last summit reads: “The Conference of the Parties ‘Further recognizes the need for deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5 °C pathways and calls on Parties to contribute to the following global efforts, in a nationally determined manner, taking into account the Paris Agreement and their different national circumstances, pathways, and approaches.'”
Saudi Arabia and its state-owned oil company, Aramco, have consistently argued that the focus should be on emission reduction strategies rather than on decreasing oil and gas production.