Saudi Arabia is accused of trying to ‘undermine’ efforts to combat climate change
Saudi Arabia is accused of trying to ‘undermine’ efforts to combat climate change by keep global warming to below 1.5C
The desert kingdom is one of the biggest oil producers in the world to dateIt wants to remove 1.5C goal statement from summit’s final outcome documentThe UK Government has said that ‘keeping 1.5 alive’ is a key aim of Cop26
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Saudi Arabia was yesterday accused of trying to undermine efforts to combat climate change at Glasgow’s Cop26 summit.
The desert kingdom, one of the world’s biggest oil producers, allegedly wants to remove a statement on the cover of the summit’s final outcome document stating the objective of the meeting is to keep global warming to below 1.5C.
All summit decisions require a consensus. The UK Government has said ‘keeping 1.5 alive’ is a key Cop26 aim.
Greenpeace said the ‘cover decision’ is the ‘top line message’ of the summit – and said its absence would cripple efforts to stick to the 1.5C goal.
Saudi Arabia was yesterday accused of trying to undermine efforts to combat climate change at Glasgow’s Cop26 summit
The pressure group also said the Saudis were blocking efforts to send crucial climate funds to developing countries.
Its international executive director, Jennifer Morgan, said Saudi Arabia was ‘at the chess board, manipulating the pieces in an effort to stop an outcome that keeps 1.5C within reach’.
Saudi negotiators are able to undermine the talks because all decisions require a consensus across all 196 countries in attendance – meaning a single nation can veto progress.
Ms Morgan added: ‘The push on Friday night to block a cover decision was a textbook effort to strip ambition from the final text, while the move to dilute substance on the adaptation goal was designed to ensure vulnerable countries don’t get the support they need and therefore can’t sign up to a meaningful agreement at the end of this week.
All summit decisions require a consensus. The UK Government has said ‘keeping 1.5 alive’ is a key Cop26 aim
‘It’s smart, strategic and utterly cynical.
‘Other governments now need to isolate the Saudi delegation if they want this COP to succeed for everyone, not just fossil fuel interests.’
Last month Saudi Arabia was revealed to have pushed for the removal of statements about fossil fuels fuelling climate change from United Nations documents.
The Saudi government were approached for comment.
