Iraq and other oil-exporting countries refused to reduce or abandon fossil fuels at Dubai’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP28).
As the climate conference draws to a close, oil-producing countries are experiencing tremendous pressure from other participating nations to end the use of fossil fuels. Although the specifics of when this reduction or abandonment will occur are still undefined, demands for action are reaching unprecedented levels.
The President of COP28, Sultan Al-Jaber, also the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), emphasized in a press conference on Sunday that “we cannot afford to fail.” His comments came ahead of a meeting among ministers to discuss matters related to fossil fuels.
The Iraqi Minister of Environment, Jasim Abdulaziz Hammadi, mentioned that gradually reducing or eliminating fossil fuels could lead to global economic turmoil and worsen inequality.
The participants believe the agreement is far from marking the beginning and end of the oil, gas, and coal era. The emissions from burning these fossil fuels since the 19th century are primarily responsible for the global warming we witness today.
