The comments conflict with the recommendations of climate scientists and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who has called on the fossil fuel industry to “drive, not obstruct” the transition to renewable energy. Burning fossil fuels is the biggest source of the carbon emissions blamed for global warming.
Even Sultan al-Jaber — who is head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., one of the world’s largest oil producers, as well as president of this year’s U.N. climate talks — urged the oil and gas industry to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by or before 2050.
