Even before the final declaration in Baku, the 22-member Arab Group had made it clear it won’t accept any text at COP29 that pushed for transitioning away from fossil fuel, media reports said.
This was in start contrast to what was announced in the Dubai meeting (COP28) last year that ended with a call to transition away from fossil fuel.
"The Arab Group will not accept any text that targets any specific sectors, including fossil fuel," Albara Tawfiq, a Saudi official speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, said during the discussions in Baku and as reported The Arab Weekly.
This reluctance to abandon fossil fuels is not limited to the group. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) has consistently pushed back against the notion that the Paris Agreement mandates a shift away from fossil fuels.
OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais, during his address at COP29, reiterated that the agreement's primary focus is on reducing emissions, not selecting specific energy sources. He called fossil fuel a "gift of God", and highlighted the need for a balanced approach, stressing the importance of leveraging all available energy sources and technologies to meet global energy demands.
The controversy surrounding the future of fossil fuels also finds support from Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, the host of this year's summit.
He criticised Western nations, particularly the US and the EU, for their "double standards" on fossil fuels.
Aliyev argued that oil and gas are essential for global markets and that countries should not be vilified for providing these resources.
In contrast, the UAE continued to advocate for the transition away from fossil fuels.
A UAE spokesperson emphasised the importance of honouring the resolution reached last year at COP28, which called for a global shift to cleaner energy, the Guardian reported.
"As a Cop decision, it is by definition unanimous. All parties must honour what they agreed. They must now focus on implementation by providing the means to take it forward with a robust NCQG (new collective quantified goal on climate finance). We urge all parties to focus on this outcome," he said.
The conflicting perspectives at COP29 highlight the complex and often contentious debate over the future of energy.
