Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.27
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
OPEC is acutely conscious of the challenge of climate change, Trend reports citing Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, OPEC Secretary General.
He made the remarks at the Ninth IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Our member countries continue to take appropriate policies, implement programs and projects to tackle the challenges of climate change,” noted OPEC secretary general.
Barkindo said at the most recent UN Climate Change Conference COP24 in Katowice, OPEC reiterated that it remains fully engaged and supportive of the Paris Agreement.
“Indeed, some of our Member Countries heavily invest in alternative sources of energy. For example, Saudi Arabia plans to generate some 59 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from solar and wind by 2030, and eventually produce upward of 200 GW from renewable sources,” he said.
However, Berkindo believes that this is not a race to renewables alone; it’s a race to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
“For this reason, OPEC emphasizes the importance of energy efficiency and its great enabler, technological innovation,” he added.
Further, Barkindo pointed out that intensive discussions on further institutionalizing our cooperation are currently underway, as the organization finalizes the draft ‘Charter of Cooperation.’
“Given the achievements to date, it is no wonder that all parties are enthusiastic to further cement our cooperation through a collaborative approach,” he added.
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