The secretary general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has "urgently" asked its 23 member or associate countries to "proactively reject" any agreement related to fossil fuels in the COP28 climate negotiations, according to emails to the that AFP has had access to.
In a letter dated Wednesday and authenticated by a recipient member country, Secretary-General Haitham al Ghais "urges" his members and their delegations at COP28 to "proactively reject any text or formulation that targets energy, i.e. fossil fuels, rather than (targeting) greenhouse gas emissions.
The letter warns that there is “excessive and disproportionate pressure on fossil fuels” and that this could reach a tipping point “with irreversible consequences”, since the draft decision that can be adopted still contains options to gradually eliminate fossil fuels " said Al Ghais, stating that he writes "with a sense of extreme urgency."
"While member countries" and their partners "take climate change seriously (...), it would be unacceptable for politically motivated campaigns to jeopardize the prosperity and future of our people," the letter continues.
The letter is addressed to OPEC's 13 members, including Iraq, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, which chairs this year's United Nations climate conference, and Saudi Arabia, at the forefront of opposition to fossil fuels. .
Mail is also sent to ten partner countries, including Mexico, Azerbaijan, Russia and Malaysia, all present in Dubai.
Bloomberg and Reuters news agencies reported that multiple independent sources had confirmed the documents were genuine and that OPEC had declined to comment.
The letters show the depth of OPEC's fear that Cop28 could be a turning point against oil and gas, which they say "puts the prosperity and future of our people at risk."
“OPEC's desperate resistance to a fossil fuel phase-out reveals its fear that the tide is turning, which is now evident in the COP28 debates,” said Andreas Sieber of the NGO 350.
"It is unfortunate enough that the second most important interest group represented at the COP is the fossil fuel lobby and now the solutions" that are currently being negotiated "are blocked in real time by their interests," denounced Amiera Sawas, from the initiative for a Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Fossil Fuels, supported by the island states and Colombia.
More than 100 countries want the final Cop28 decision to require a phase-out of fossil fuels. Such a move would be a strong signal that the end of the era of coal, oil and gas has arrived and would help drive the cuts that scientists have made clear are urgently needed.
Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels are the overwhelming driver of the climate crisis. Emissions continue to rise, but must fall by almost half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 to have an even chance of keeping global warming at the internationally agreed limit of 1.5°C. Supercharged extreme weather is already costing lives and livelihoods today and would worsen rapidly above 1.5°C.
