This week’s quote below is indicative of how the oil and gas industry sees climate change – as conveyed by Darren Woods, CEO of Exxon Mobil, last week at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco. Then, in Dubai, attending his first global climate conference, Darren Woods told the Financial Times (behind a paywall) that the climate talks have focused on renewable energy for too long. He said that the discussions had “put way too much emphasis on getting rid of fossil fuels, oil and gas, and not . . . on dealing with the emissions associated with them.” He called for a bigger role for carbon capture. The FT article offers some context on Exxon, quoting Geoffrey Supran, lead author of a report in the journal Science this year, which found that Exxon scientists correctly predicted global warming as early as in the 1970s. Supran went on: “Exxon’s attendance is very much part and parcel of the fossil fuel industries’ decades of efforts to infiltrate and corrupt attempts by policymakers to meaningfully address the climate crisis.” In Dubai, Woods dismissed the opposition to oil executives participating in COP28: “I don’t spend much time thinking about that. I focus more on what we can do to contribute and meet the needs in society.”
The FT reports that about 80,000 people are attending COP28. Amazingly, Brazil has sent more than 3,000 delegates. The UAE presidency invited more than 9,000 to the formal business area in the “blue zone”, including about 5,000 bankers, consultants and lobbyists outside of its own extended delegation. The UAE was one of two countries to include housekeeping staff in their nominated quota – UAE nominated 20 housekeepers and Azerbaijan nominated two cleaners.
Favourite Links is one of the popular pages on the EiD website. New recent links include: The Importance of Socially Responsible Mining in Developing Nations; Home Carbon Calculator; How smart meters and solar panels work together; The Role of E-Bikes in Decarbonising Transportation; and The Guide to Sustainable, Zero-Waste, Ethical Weddings. What are your views on these links? Please let us know if you have a link to be added or changed.
COP28 in Dubai started this week and runs another two weeks. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a good video on what to expect. You can stay up to date with COP28 here.
With so many people on the move this year, here is some useful news to help you along:
- It is encouraging to see the growing demand for train travel. Euronews offers the best new European train routes launching in 2023 and 2024.
- For those interested in a nice hike through Europe, much better adventures suggests 20 of the best hikes in Europe.
- If you’re interested in a cycling trip, have a look at the Best Cycling Destinations in Europe.
- For travel in the US, Lonely Planet provides 9 of the most incredible train journeys in the USA.
CEO of Exxon Mobil Darren Woods (b. 1964/65) provides his views on addressing climate change (and definitely not the views of EiD): “The solutions to climate change have been too focused on reducing supply. That’s a recipe, for human hardship and a poorer world.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 