BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 30. It was positive that all voices were at the table at COP29 in Azerbaijan, Haitham Al Ghais, OPEC Secretary General, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
“Everyone should be part of the conversation. This has always been our mantra. We are inclusive, not exclusive. We are not dismissing anyone, or anything. It was positive that all voices were at the table at COP29 in Azerbaijan.
As Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev emphasized at the opening of COP29, oil and gas are indeed a ‘Gift from God’. They remain vital to producers and consumers around the world. Moreover, combined they make up around 55% of the global energy mix. Conversations on climate and future energy pathways must include oil and gas,” said OPEC secretary general.
He believes that inclusivity has to be the way forward.
“We need to be clear that building a low emissions future, alongside achieving energy security and providing full energy access, has many paths. It is not just one path for all, whether that be a country or an industry. At OPEC, we believe in an all-energies approach. No single energy source can meet rising demand, and the needs of all,” Al Ghais said.
The secretary general pointed out that OPEC believes in an all-peoples approach, taking into account the capacities, national circumstances, and development priorities of all countries so that no one is left behind.
“Billions of people in the developing world are still playing energy catch-up. For these people, their energy future is not about debating over the costs and benefits of energy sources or deciding on the purchase of an electric vehicle. Instead, it is about achieving the energy basics that the developed world takes for granted, such as being able to turn on a light, cook on a clean stove or have motorized transport to move to and from work or school. The principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’ is vital, and fundamental to the UNFCCC process and all COP meetings.
And we believe in an all-technologies approach, which is why our Member Countries are investing in carbon capture utilization and storage, direct air capture, the circular carbon economy, as well as other energy sources, such as hydrogen, renewables and nuclear.
We look forward to COP30 later this year in Brazil, a country that recently joined the OPEC and non-OPEC Charter of Cooperation,” he concluded.