At the ongoing COP28 climate summit, voices calling for the gradual reduction or even elimination of the use of fossil fuels dominate the mainstream, but some people have clearly expressed their opposition. Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the kingdom would not agree to phase out fossil fuels, saying he assured that no government truly believed it could be phased out.
He also quipped that if someone thinks this is a noble moral choice, let them practice it themselves and others will see how much contribution it can make.
He also added that he hopes that anyone who publicly supports the elimination of fossil fuels will publish their names and phone numbers so that someone can call them to ask how they will eliminate fossil fuels.
Previously, United Nations Secretary-General Guterres said that countries should completely phase out fossil fuels and warned that based on the current climate development trajectory, mankind will face a complete disaster.
The climate action agreement is expected to be released at the end of the COP28 conference on December 12, and its first draft also includes words such as phasing out fossil fuels. But at present, there is no consensus on this point.
Saudi Arabia on full fire
At the climate summit, Saudi representatives also ridiculed Western donations to the Climate Loss and Damage Fund, saying it was nothing more than a "small change."
The fund set up by industrial countries for developing countries is seen as a major victory at COP28, having attracted some $700 million so far from donors including the European Union and the United States. However, in the eyes of Saudi Arabia, this amount of money is really not enough.
Prince Abdulaziz said that unlike the small change offered by developed countries to cover losses, Saudi Arabia announced an allocation of up to $50 billion at the Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh last month to help other countries achieve green initiatives.
He stressed that this will help build infrastructure directly through Saudi stakeholders and strengthen the continent’s climate resilience and adaptation capabilities. He also said that Saudi Arabia has transformed its own energy sources, invested in renewable energy and improved energy efficiency, and will achieve economic decarbonization by 2030.
At the same time, Saudi Aramco Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan emphasized that people cannot ask underdeveloped or developing countries to adopt the same transformation measures as developed countries, especially for those who do not have access to energy.
He added that he had heard an African ministerial official’s opinion on the matter: Africa