Iraq go against fossil fuel plans at COP28
Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oil field in Midland, Texas U.S. Photo: Reuters
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq and oil-exporting countries adhered to a stance refusing the reduction or abandonment of fossil fuel usage in a final agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.
Two days before the end of the conference, the oil-producing countries are facing unprecedented pressure in the history of climate conferences from other countries participating in the talks and demanding an end to the era of fossil fuels, even if the timetable of this reduction or abandonment is still unspecified.
COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber, who is also the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), stressed in a press conference on Sunday that “failure is not an option,” before the ministers present at the conference meet to discuss issues related to fossil fuels.
The Iraqi Minister of Environment, Jasim Abdulaziz Hammadi, said during the meeting that the gradual reduction or gradual elimination of fossil fuels will cause turmoil in the global economy and worsen inequality.
The participants believe that the agreement has never been close to marking the beginning of the end of the era of oil, gas, and coal, as the emissions resulting from their burning since the 19th century are largely responsible for the global warming that we witness today.