Recent research reveals that the United States, while professing climate leadership, is set to drive over a third of the anticipated global expansion in oil and gas production by mid-century. This trend is mirrored by Canada, Russia, and other nations, casting doubt on their climate commitments.
According to a report by the campaign group Oil Change International, the United States stands at the forefront of countries with ambitious plans for oil and gas production expansion, despite its claims of climate responsibility. Canada and Russia closely trail behind, while Iran, China, and Brazil also feature prominently. Curiously, the United Arab Emirates, set to host this year’s annual UN climate summit (Cop28) in Dubai, ranks seventh among these nations.
Furthermore, the report underscores that five “global north countries” – the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway, and the UK – collectively account for over half of the proposed expansion in new oil and gas fields until 2050.
The concerning aspect emerges when considering the greenhouse gas emissions from these planned expansions. These emissions alone are projected to exceed the threshold established in the 2021 Cop26 agreement, where nations committed to limiting global temperature increases to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. This fact underscores the discord between climate aspirations and current practices.
The International Energy Agency sounded the alarm in 2021, emphasizing that preserving the 1.5C limit would necessitate the cessation of all new oil and gas exploration and development. However, only a handful of oil and gas reserve-holding countries have pledged to forego new exploration and drilling.
Romain Ioualalen, the global policy lead at Oil Change International and co-author of the report, called for a halt to fossil fuel expansion, noting, “It’s simple: when you are in a hole, the first step is to stop digging.” He decried the gross inequity of the climate crisis, where a select few affluent nations jeopardize the planet’s future by disregarding the calls for an urgent transition away from fossil fuels.
The report, titled “Planet wreckers: how 20 countries’ oil and gas extraction plans risk locking in climate chaos,” presents a stark reality. These 20 countries collectively plan to introduce new oil and gas developments by 2050, contributing approximately 173 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This staggering figure is equivalent to the lifetime emissions of 1,100 coal-fired power plants or surpasses 30 years of annual emissions from the United States.
In contrast, forsaking the development of new oil and gas fields would result in a gradual decline in global oil and gas production by approximately 2% annually from now until 2030, increasing to 5% annually from 2030 to 2050.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has intensified his appeals to countries to divest from fossil fuels, describing such endeavors as “moral and economic madness.” Guterres is convening a conference of world leaders later this month in New York to secure renewed commitments to address the climate crisis. Notably, leaders will be granted participation only if they demonstrate clear plans for greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
The persistence of fossil fuel expansion plans across the globe serves as a sobering reminder of the challenges facing climate action and the urgency of transitioning to sustainable energy sources.
