3.16pm GMTSaudi Arabia is blocking the negotiations at Cop29 at every turn to prevent a repeat of the pledge it reluctantly agreed to a year ago at Cop28 – to “transition away from fossil fuels”. Saudi negotiators are not only opposing proposed text for the Cop29 deal related to cutting carbon emissions, but also proposals on adaptation, a registry for national climate pledges and more. “Maybe they’ve been emboldened by Trump’s victory, but they are acting with abandon here,” he told the New York Times. With vast oil reserves, the rich Saudi state has a lot to lose if the urgently needed phase out of fossil fuels gets under way. Dr Joanna Depledge, a negotiations expert at the University of Cambridge, said Saudi Arabia’s opposition was “blatant and brazen”.

Source: The Guardian November 19, 2024 07:26 UTC