War Gives Oil Producers Greater Clout at Global Climate Talks
Higher demand for fossil fuels has strengthened their hand
Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's energy minister, center, awaits the start of the 177th Organization Of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in Vienna in 2019.
Photographer: Stefan Wermuth/BloombergOil producers have always been an easy target at the United Nations’ annual climate summits. This year, with Russia’s war in Ukraine boosting demand for fossil fuels, they’re preparing to fight back.
As Western economies desperately seek alternatives to Vladimir Putin’s exports, many are working to increase supplies of energy — whether it's clean or not. U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered an unprecedented release of emergency crude, while Poland has signaled it wants to use coal past the European Union’s 2050 date to reach net-zero emissions. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson travelled to Saudi Arabia to ask for an increase oil production.