Saudi Arabia says climate fight shouldn't shun any particular energy source
Saudi Arabia's top energy official said on Wednesday that efforts to combat climate change should not undermine global energy security or shun any particular energy source, and denied the kingdom was hampering international talks on the issue.
The comments from the top producer nation in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) come as the UK hosts the UN climate summit underway in Scotland, which is pushing to secure ambitious pledges from world leaders to slash greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from oil, coal and gas.
"It is imperative that we...
Saudi Arabia's top energy official said on Wednesday that efforts to combat climate change should not undermine global energy security or shun any particular energy source, and denied the kingdom was hampering international talks on the issue.
The comments from the top producer nation in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) come as the UK hosts the UN climate summit underway in Scotland, which is pushing to secure ambitious pledges from world leaders to slash greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from oil, coal and gas.
"It is imperative that we recognise the diversity of climate solutions and the importance of emissions reduction as stipulated in the Paris Agreement, without any bias towards or against any particular source of energy," Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Salman Al-Saud said at the summit.
He said negotiators should be "conscious of the special circumstances of the Less Developed Countries", some of which have been resisting calls for aggressive moves away from fossil fuels because of the economic costs.
"We should work together to help these countries mitigate the impact of climate change policies, without compromising their sustainable development," he said.
Several officials involved in the Glasgow talks told Reuters that Saudi Arabia has been obstructing the progress of negotiations toward a strong deal, including by using procedural delay tactics.
“What you’ve been hearing is a false allegation, and a cheat and a lie,” Prince Abdulaziz said.
Asked by Reuters whether he agrees fossil fuels are the main driver of climate change he said: “No, I think there will be a good way forward. We should use all resources as long as we congregate around mitigating."
- Reuters
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