On 9 December, people across the country united in local actions against oil and gas exploration and drilling off South Africa’s coastline. Multinational corporations – including Shell, QatarEnergy, Total Energies and contractors such as CGG and Searcher Seismic – are amongst the focal points of this latest public outrage. According to Liziwe McDaid, Strategic Lead at The Green Connection (one of the civil society organisations that got in on the action), “Recent decisions by government to authorise seismic surveys in the Algoa/Outeniqua Basin off the Southeast Coast of South Africa and also off the West Coast, in addition to decision to reject the environmental appeal against oil and gas exploration, from Gansbaai on the South Coast to Doring Baai on the West Coast, has been the catalyst for these actions.”
Oil and gas will be “pillars of global energy for many decades to come”, the closing statement of a meeting of Arab energy ministers said on Tuesday, as the issue of ending the use of fossil fuels sent COP28 into overtime in pursuit of a deal, Reuters reports.
Following a day of active discussions at the Shaping the Future of Shipping: Delivering a Net Zero World summit yesterday, a course was set to deliver on the International Maritime Organization’s net zero strategy. The industry initiative brought together over 60 organisations to discuss tangible solutions to meet the ambitious net zero targets by or around 2050.
Central to the climate challenge is the urgent need to address the role of the oil industry and its rising emissions of greenhouse gases and short-lived climate pollutants. The global COP28 climate talks are a key moment for the oil sector to reassess its trajectory and acknowledge that a transition to cleaner energy sources is not just desirable but a financial and economic imperative — and that ultimately a zero emissions future is one that requires a phaseout of unabated fossil fuels.
The International Energy Agency said in its recent oil report that oil consumption is close to peaking, thanks to transition efforts and energy efficiency gains.
COP28 president Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber speaks during a meeting at the United Nations climate summit in Dubai on December 2, 2023. The COP28 conference opened on December 1 with an early victory as nations agreed to launch a “loss and damage” fund for vulnerable countries devastated by natural disasters.
Saudi Arabia’s Aramco is one of 50 oil and gas companies pledging to stop adding to planet-warming gases by 2050
A recent investigation by the Centre for Climate Reporting and Channel 4 News showed Saudi officials saying they were trying to artificially increase oil demand in some markets
The success of COP28 in Dubai, UAE, is facing immense pressure due to the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and the ongoing Israeli conflict with Gaza.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been repeatedly criticised since winning its bid to hold the COP28 climate summit later this year, particularly for its ongoing dependence on oil and gas to sustain its economy. While some say it is vital that the oil powers requiring the most diversification to survive without fossil fuels, such as the UAE, be closely involved in the global climate talks, others are condemning the decision.