In a meeting on regional energy cooperation in Doha, Arab officials expressed strong opposition to efforts seeking a phase-out of fossil fuels at COP28. Campaigners had anticipated a global shift away from high-emission fuels during the UN climate summit in Dubai.
Kuwait’s oil minister, Saad Hamad Nasser Al Barrak, dismissed the proposal as an “aggressive attack” by Western nations, accusing them of attempting to dominate the global economy through alternative energy sources. He labeled the approach “racist and colonial,” emphasizing its potential to impact economies crucial to the region’s future.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, led opposition to moving away from hydrocarbons at the UN climate summit. In Doha, Iraq’s oil minister, Hayyan Abdul Ghani Al Sawad, asserted that fossil fuels would remain a major global energy source. He emphasized the responsibility of user nations to develop technologies for emission reduction.
Mohammed Mubarak Bin Daina, Bahrain’s oil and environment minister, highlighted the significance of petrol and oil in their economies. While calling for emissions reductions and increased use of renewable energy, he stressed the need to balance industry preservation and consumption.
The two-day conference in gas-rich Qatar included officials from Algeria, Libya, Oman, and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. As negotiators extended discussions past the set deadline, Western powers and climate-threatened nations clashed with Saudi Arabia over stronger calls for fossil fuel exit.
By AFP
