The Saudi delegation has flatly opposed any language in a deal that would even mention fossil fuels — the oil, gas and coal that, when burned, create emissions that are dangerously heating the planet. Saudi negotiators have also objected to a provision, endorsed by at least 118 countries, aimed at tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030.
There’s a guy where I live who’s been working for over a decade with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Dubai, designing and implementing huge investments into renewables, especially solar. They are also investing huge sums into dessalination technology and solar furnaces.
They have some plan up their sleeves and I guess everyone will be taken off hand when it will be made public.
They have a big PR operation about their small solar investments. So far as I can tell, that’s it, and not some kind of serious attempt to become a large-scale energy exporter based on renewables.
The Saudi plan is largely a sovereign wealth fund, intended to use the rest of the world as an income stream for the royal family after the oil is done.
The person is there working 6 to 8 months a year, a renewables engineer, seeing first hand a part of what is being planned for a near future but understanding the real scale goes way beyond what reaches their eyes and ears.
Unless a full behind the scenes information leak happens, I’m going to give credit to first hand knowledge.
Solar made up 0.21% of electricity production in Saudi Arabia. For the UAE it is 4.5% and Qatar 0.02%. All are from 2022. I believe that is about all that needs to be said about that.
Let us poletely keep to our positions and live amiably with one another.