How Saudi Arabia Turned Back Climate Progress at COP29
The oil giant was crucial in making sure none of the major outcomes called for nations to move away from fossil fuels.
A national flag of Saudi Arabia at their pavilion at the COP29 climate conference in Baku.
Photographer: Hollie Adams/BloombergSaudi Arabia and its allies had two words they didn’t want to see repeated in a COP29 deal: “fossil fuels.” The faction got their way after two weeks of bitter negotiations in Azerbaijan, reversing gains made in earlier climate talks and helping to knock this year’s proceedings off track.
The Gulf state surprised the world at COP28 when it joined nearly 200 nations in agreeing to transition away from fossil fuels, but it’s been trying to walk that historic moment back ever since. “The Arab Group will not accept any text that targets specific sectors, including fossil fuels,” Saudi representative Albara Tawfiq made clear to delegates at this month’s United Nations meeting in Baku.