COP28: France “stunned” and “angry” after OPEC’s declarations on fossil fuels

Outcry after statements from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), asking its member countries to reject an agreement targeting fossil fuels at COP28. After the Spanish Minister for Ecological Transition deeming this position “repugnant”, the French Minister for Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher said this Saturday that she was “stunned” and expressed her “anger”.

“I am stunned by these statements from OPEC. And I am angry,” declared the minister from Dubai, recalling that “fossil fuels are responsible for more than 75% of CO2 emissions” and “that we must get out of them if we want to limit global warming to 1, 5 degree”. “OPEC’s position endangers the most vulnerable countries and the poorest populations who are the first victims of this situation,” she added. “I am counting on the presidency of the COP not to be impressed by these declarations and to reach an agreement which affirms a clear objective of phasing out fossil fuels,” also affirmed Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

In a letter dated Wednesday, consulted Friday by AFP and authenticated by a recipient member country, OPEC Secretary General Haitham al-Ghais “presses” his members and their delegations to COP28 to “proactively reject” any text or any language that targets energy, i.e. fossil fuels, rather than greenhouse gas emissions.

The letter is addressed to the 13 members of OPEC, including Iraq, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, which chairs this year's United Nations climate conference, and Saudi Arabia, at the forefront of opposition away from fossil fuels. The mail is also sent to ten associated countries, such as Mexico, Azerbaijan, Russia and Malaysia, all present in Dubai.