At UN talks in Bonn this last June, a small group of countries, including Saudi Arabia, blocked the new IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report from being included in negotiations to chart out a path forward of reducing global carbon emissions. The small group of countries undermined the report by discrediting its scientific validity. The new IPCC report outlined the dangers of reaching a point where global warming exceeds 2 degrees Celsius, and recommended that countries should do their best to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Because of the block, countries could not agree on a path forward to further reduce carbon emissions. Many countries, such as Costa Rica and Ethiopia, voiced their disappointment at the report being blocked, explaining that the science was clear and cannot be negotiated with. Being one of the top carbon-emitting countries in the world, this seriously hampers the ability of Saudi Arabia to participate in the global movement to reduce carbon emissions per the 2015 Paris Climate agreement.

Saudi Arabia’s move, along with other countries, to block the recent IPCC publication on the dangers of global warming above 2 degrees Celsius is unfortunate and hinders the utilization of the IPCC report scientific findings to further the efforts to reduce carbon emissions and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. This also casts doubts on the Kingdom’s leadership to participate in the global movement to reduce carbon emissions per the 2015 Paris Climate agreement.

We recommend that the Ministry of Energy reverse course on discrediting the scientific validity of the IPCC report and follow in the steps of other developed countries that have welcomed the report’s findings. This step will strengthen the global community’s efforts to forge a path forward to further reduce carbon emissions. Saudi Arabia is in the position to spearhead the global movement to reduce carbon emissions in accordance with the 2015 Paris Climate agreement.

Send Action Alert Message to:

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman

Minister of Energy

webmaster@meim.gov.sa