According to Yahoo News, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has issued a strong defense of the oil and gas industry just days before the start of the largest climate talks in history. The organization criticized the International Energy Agency (IEA) for unfairly vilifying the industry's role in the climate crisis, according to a statement released on November 27. OPEC argued that the oil industry is embracing renewable energy, making significant investments, and working on technologies to reduce emissions.
OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al-Ghais called the IEA's use of social media platforms to criticize and instruct the oil and gas industry undiplomatic, stating that OPEC is not an organization that would prescribe to others what they should do. The climate summit, COP28, is set to begin on Thursday in Dubai, with its president, Sultan Al Jaber, also serving as the head of the OPEC producer's state oil company. This makes the summit one of the most controversial climate events to date.
OPEC also criticized the IEA's proposed framework for aligning company targets with net-zero goals, claiming it is a tool intended to curtail the sovereign actions and choices of oil and gas producing developing countries by pressuring their national oil companies. The organization defended carbon capture technology as well.