The Saudi delegation has flatly opposed any language in a deal that would even mention fossil fuels — the oil, gas and coal that, when burned, create emissions that are dangerously heating the planet. Saudi negotiators have also objected to a provision, endorsed by at least 118 countries, aimed at tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030.
“It Is Difficult to Get a Man to Understand Something When His Salary Depends Upon His Not Understanding It” - Upton Sinclair
These are the people who kill us
They are obviously the one country that must not be asked about this.
There are a few other petrostates with the same issue too
True, they should of course also not be asked. Just phase out now!
Who could have seen this coming!?!?
Saudi Arabia has had an active delegation at every IPCC meeting over three decades - no excuse to be unaware, they always manage to scrape as close as possible to rejection from the process. By the way we misrepresent by saying “Saudi Arabia” - petro-dollars are only existential for an autocratic government (similar applies to gas-putin) - Arabian population would benefit from less climate change (their region will approach uninhabitable in summer - pity COP was not in July - note how they moved world-cup).
Where is the news???
Well they already live in a desert so what do they have to lose? And they’re rich enough to be able to afford all kinds of tech.
They already import 80% of their food and 40% of the water they consume is not replenishing. That is besides being in an already unstable region of the world, which would become largely uninhabitable with climate change going on further. So when oil either runs out or they can not sell it anymore, they are in a really bad spot.
There’s a guy where I live who’s been working for over a decade with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Dubai, designing and implementing huge investments into renewables, especially solar. They are also investing huge sums into dessalination technology and solar furnaces.
They have some plan up their sleeves and I guess everyone will be taken off hand when it will be made public.
They have a big PR operation about their small solar investments. So far as I can tell, that’s it, and not some kind of serious attempt to become a large-scale energy exporter based on renewables.
The Saudi plan is largely a sovereign wealth fund, intended to use the rest of the world as an income stream for the royal family after the oil is done.
The person is there working 6 to 8 months a year, a renewables engineer, seeing first hand a part of what is being planned for a near future but understanding the real scale goes way beyond what reaches their eyes and ears.
Unless a full behind the scenes information leak happens, I’m going to give credit to first hand knowledge.
Solar made up 0.21% of electricity production in Saudi Arabia. For the UAE it is 4.5% and Qatar 0.02%. All are from 2022. I believe that is about all that needs to be said about that.
Let us poletely keep to our positions and live amiably with one another.
Temperatures which go from unpleasant to deadly
Careful or they’ll try to teach you a lesson. 9/11
Shocked pikachu
This is their cash cow? Why wouldn’t they try to block it?
because environment
I don’t think they care awfully much.
they should
I don’t disagree.
cash cow is bad reason
Their entire government is built on bad reasons. That’s my point. I know it’s not a good reason. That’s a forgone conclusion. My comment was more “is anyone really surprised?”.