2023-12-15 09:30:00
“US lawmakers and ministers around the world criticized a letter that appeared on Friday night, warning OPEC member states to resist calls at the COP28 climate summit for a phase-out of fossil fuels,” reports Axios:The letter has shaken climate talks at a critical phase, as nations argue over whether to include historic language in an emerging climate deal that calls for a phase-out of fossil fuels… “The letter “OPEC is outrageous. OPEC wants to talk about emissions, but not the source of emissions,” said Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), who is visiting COP28 as part of a congressional delegation. “It would be as if the tobacco industry said you can talk about lung cancer, but not cigarettes. It’s scandalous, absurd,” he told Axios. “The degree to which they had the nerve to write such an absurd letter just shows how much they are still in denial.” The letter, reportedly sent by the OPEC secretary general to all 13 member countries and 10 members of the larger OPEC+ coalition on December 6, warned of the possibility of a tipping point towards a COP28 outcome that contained language which called for a gradual phase-out of fossil fuels. fuels.
Reuters informa “It was the first time that the OPEC Secretariat intervened in the UN climate talks with such a letter, according to Alden Meyer of the E3G climate change think tank. “It indicates a whiff of panic,” he said. “.
More from Politico :The large-scale resistance that oil-exporting countries are mounting against a COP28 agreement to end the use of fossil fuels is a sign of “panic”, Germany’s climate envoy said… [A] Jennifer Morgan, Germany’s special envoy for international climate action, the letter was also a rare admission by the oil industry that these climate talks represent an existential threat to its business model…
As the talks near their end, officials are working to craft language that can gain support from the nearly 200 countries. participating in the process. It will be up to the UAE presidency at COP28 to try to reach a consensus. The weekend’s draft text offered several options for committing to “phasing out” fossil fuels, all with several caveats. But several people close to the talks said Saudi Arabia and the Arab group of negotiators have resisted that language, even storming out of a meeting room, according to a process observer granted anonymity to discuss the talks. door closed.
“We have raised our continued concerns about attempts to attack energy sources rather than emissions,” Saudi Arabia’s Albara Tawfiq said during Sunday’s public session.
The Guardian adds that ” there is some optimism coming from the discussions “Catherine Abreu, executive director of Destino Cero, said: “In eight years of attending climate talks, I have never felt more like we were talking about what really matters. Listening to ministers from around the world speak directly about the realities of phasing out fossil fuels is something I would not have imagined would happen in this process even two years ago: “What is clear after this Majlis dialogue at Cop28 is that there is overwhelming consensus that phasing out fossil fuels and increasing renewable energy are absolutely necessary to keep the promise of the Paris Agreement and keep the hope of 1.5 alive.
#Saudiled #fight #COP28 #deal #outrageous #shows #panic #officials