The 12 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) pump about 40 percent of the world’s crude oil and it has sought to reposition itself to gain praise from the UN’s top climate change official at the centre of the debate.
It has now embarked on emissions capture and sequestration technology in a sincere bid to clean up fossil fuels – a potential global warming-element. And, the Opec — the green campaigners’ target – has pushed for a $3 billion fund for financing research and development to meet their proposed goals.
It has eventually made ‘protecting the planet’ one of three headline issues at the summit in the Saudi capital. This changed approach of OPEC is surely a significant and effective departure from its early attitude – call it ‘skeptical’ — towards the debate on climate change.
Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) told a press conference said,
I think the debate here points to a constructive willingness to participate in international dialogue about climate change.
It was until this changed attitude, the OPEC focused on the potential impact of alternative energies and energy savings on oil demand. Ali Naimi, the Saudi oil minister, said
Saudi Arabia and Opec [the oil producers’ cartel] are concerned about the environment. We need to work on emissions. Technology is available to reduce emission and Saudi Arabia is willing to participate.
Clearing on the international action on climate change, OPEC said that it is a war against emissions, not oil! And, so using the right technology development and deployment, ‘essential’ fossil fuels can continue to play their required role and hence will do so.
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