Speaking to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna, Sultan al-Jaber urged members to invest heavily in renewables and work toward reducing planet-warming emissions from third parties, such as those released by suppliers or customers.
He urged OPEC nations to "show the world once more how essential this industry is to the solutions we need" for the climate crisis. Scientists and climate activists have repeatedly called for fossil fuels to be phased out to limit warming. Al-Jaber's appointment as head of the climate talks was widely criticized by climate activists. Lawmakers in United States and Europe have called for him to be replaced given his ties to the fossil fuel sector and for the industry's influence at the upcoming talks to be sharply limited.