OPEC Secretary General: Crude Oil And Natural Gas Are 'Gifts From God'
Energy Economy News - Follow-up OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al-Ghais stressed that global warming talks should focus on reducing emissions rather than choosing energy sources, stressing during a speech he delivered at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan that crude oil and natural gas are “a gift from God.”
The comments came as world governments seeking to limit the damage caused by global warming in the Caspian Sea country met to try to reach a comprehensive financial agreement aimed at helping countries cut emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change.
Al-Ghais said in a speech he delivered at the conference hosted by Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, “Oil and natural gas are in fact a gift from God.”
“Today, nearly 180 years after the discovery of oil, specifically here in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, oil and its various derivatives still play a role in how we heat and cool our homes, build buildings, and move and travel from one place to another. Oil and gas remain vital to producers and consumers around the world,” Al Ghais said.
“These resources affect how food is produced, packaged and transported, how medical research is conducted and how medical supplies are manufactured and distributed. I could go on and on with an endless number of examples,” he added.
The statements of the Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al-Ghais, are in line with the opening speech of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, in which he responded to Western criticism of his country's oil and gas industry, and also described these resources as a "gift from God."
He pointed out that the world's governments, which set a ceiling for the rise in global temperature during the Paris summit in 2015 of no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial revolution level, can achieve their climate goals without shifting away from oil.
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Al Ghais also stressed that a balanced energy transition is the key to global sustainability.
"The Paris Agreement focuses on reducing emissions, not on choosing energy sources," he said.
OPEC said technologies such as carbon capture could address the climate change impacts of burning fossil fuels.
Mohamed Hamel, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, also spoke at the conference on Wednesday in support of fossil fuels.
“As the world’s population grows, the economy expands and human living conditions improve, the world will need more natural gas, not less,” he said.
He added that he hopes that the COP29 agreement on international climate finance will allow support for natural gas projects to help countries transition away from more polluting fuels such as coal.
"The outcome of the conference should facilitate financing of natural gas projects and promote cleaner technologies such as carbon capture, storage and utilization," he added.
"This is essential to achieve energy transitions that are fair and inclusive and ensure that no country is left behind," he added. https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=50114
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