Saudis resist recommiting fossil fuel transition pledge at COP29

Baku: A fight is building at the United Nations climate talks over whether countries should recommit to last year’s historic pledge to transition away from fossil fuels, Bloomberg reported.

European and US negotiators see restating commitments agreed last year, including a boost in efficiency and renewable energy deployment, as essential to prevent backtracking on the global climate fight, people familiar with the matter said. Saudi Arabia is leading a push back with a mix of delaying tactics and outright blocking maneuvers, they said, asking not to be named because the negotiations aren’t public.

The disagreement comes at a delicate juncture at COP29 in Azerbaijan. A deal on fossil fuels made it to a final COP agreement for the first time ever last year, with COP28 host United Arab Emirates successfully getting Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing nations on board with a message to “transition away” from fossil fuels in Dubai. A failure to double down on the language agreed in last year’s deal is seen by developed and climate-vulnerable countries as a climbdown.