The world’s leading oil exporter has become the most forceful opponent of a new agreement at the U.N. climate summit, according to people inside the talks.

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.

    • a4ng3l@lemmy.worldEnglish
      22·
      11 months ago

      Iran? What’s the deal with them? They seem rather tame compared to a lot of other shitholes.

      • xmunk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        11 months ago

        Saudi Arabia is western aligned because they oppose Iran - Iran has always been viewed as more dangerous to America… ever since they kicked out the British backed Shah in 1979.

        There’s also oil, but both countries had oil… but one stayed a monarchy while the other became a theocracy and then kind of democracy. Instead of supporting the democratic transition away from a theocracy America, of course, backed the monarchy.

        If that doesn’t gel with your expectations about America and spreading freedom and whatnot bear in mind… Kissinger.

        • anlumo@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          11 months ago

          Monarchies are way easier to control than democracies, so this isn’t surprising.

          You can see that with Russia, it took them an ungodly amount of money and decades of propaganda to take over the Western democracies.