US climate envoy demands 'public responsibility' from fossil fuel firms

Fossil

31/10/2023 17:04

By Alexander Cornwell
       ABU DHABI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Fossil fuel companies must
face up to their responsibilities to cut the CO2 emissions
fuelling climate change, the U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry said
on Tuesday, as countries prepared to debate the future of fossil
fuels at this year's U.N. COP28 climate summit.
    The oil and gas industry is expected to be in focus at the
COP28 summit from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 in the United Arab
Emirates, a major oil producer. Dozens of countries plan to push
for the world's first deal to phase out CO2-emitting coal, oil
and gas.
    Kerry, U.S. special envoy on climate change, said the onus
was on fossil fuel companies to prove they can be part of global
efforts to cut CO2 emissions.
    "My message to the oil and gas companies is very simple.
There's only one reason that we're in this crisis and it is
principally the way we provide our energy," Kerry told Reuters.
    "We are demanding public responsibility. And we are looking
at those companies and feeling that they could do so much to
help us win this battle."
    The United Arab Emirates' incoming COP28 President Sultan Al
Jaber - who is also the head of the country's state oil firm
ADNOC - has defended the inclusion of industry in the event, and
is asking oil and gas firms to make CO2-cutting pledges there.
    Major oil and gas companies have touted investments in
carbon removal and carbon capture and storage technologies as
part of their net-zero emissions plans, as well as some
renewable energy and hydrogen. Yet some like Shell and BP have
rolled back their commitments in recent months even as they
reported record earnings.
    Daniel Westlén, Sweden's state secretary for climate, told
Reuters that while U.N. climate negotiations are strictly
between governments, fossil fuel companies must also be
involved.
    "Replacing 80% of the primary energy in the world with
something else - it's like replacing the blood veins and vessels
when the patient is up and running. It's going to be hard to do
it without them," he said.
    "You need a plan, to plan ahead. And most probably that plan
has to involve the fossil fuel companies somehow - but the end
goal is phasing out the fossil fuels," he added.   
    Kerry said oil and gas' company investments in nascent
technologies like direct air capture and carbon capture in
storage is welcome but it is too early to say whether it will
have any impact on global greenhouse gas emissions.
    "Their investment is crucial, but we don't know yet whether
it's a fig leaf or not. There are a lot of questions about
whether or not they can ever produce at scale. That's yet to be
tested," he said.     
    Jennifer Morgan, Germany's special envoy for climate action,
said credible oil company plans must address greenhouse gas
emissions from operations as well as their use by consumers.
Morgan said the companies also must eliminate methane emissions
and ramp up spending on renewable energy.
     "They need to be shifting their investments because ...
it's something around 5% right now that's going into renewables
... and it needs to be more around 50%," she told Reuters.

 (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell, writing by Kate Abnett and
Valerie Volcovici; Editing by David Gregorio)
 ((Kate.Abnett@thomsonreuters.com;))