In the midst of the global shift towards eco-friendly energy solutions, affluent nations are relinquishing their reliance on the abundant oil resources of West Asia. However, a clandestine investigation conducted by the Centre for Climate Reporting and Channel 4 News, a British television channel, has uncovered Saudi Arabia’s purported initiative to artificially bolster oil demand, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions like Africa.
The expose divulges that Riyadh is formulating a strategy, termed the oil demand sustainability programme (ODSP), with the primary objective of augmenting the consumption of fossil fuel-powered vehicles in Africa and other similar regions. The comprehensive investigation, undertaken by an undercover Channel 4 News reporter, sheds light on Saudi officials’ aspirations to “artificially stimulate demand in some key markets.”
Under the ODSP, Saudi Arabia envisions promoting supersonic air travel, a mode of transportation that consumes three times more fuel than conventional planes. Additionally, the kingdom plans to collaborate with car manufacturers to mass-produce inexpensive engines, thereby making fossil fuel-driven cars more economically viable for the less affluent.
The Guardian quotes Mohamed Adow, the director of the think tank Power Shift Africa, characterizing the Saudi government’s approach as akin to that of a “drug dealer trying to get Africa hooked on its harmful product.” Adow criticizes Saudi Arabia for attempting to expand its customer base in a world that is progressively moving away from environmentally detrimental fossil fuels.
The official narrative of ODSP, as disseminated by the Saudi government, presents the initiative as a means to “remove barriers” to energy and transportation in impoverished nations, ostensibly to enhance sustainability. This includes initiatives such as providing gas cooking stoves to replace wood burning. According to an Arabic source, ODSP aims to “sustain and develop the demand for hydrocarbons as a competitive source of energy” while ensuring a sustainable transition in the energy mix for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Despite these endeavors, Saudi Arabia maintains its commitment to the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global heating to well below 2 degrees Celsius and striving for a maximum increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius. The revelation of Saudi Arabia’s unconventional strategy comes just days before the commencement of the COP28 Summit scheduled for November 30 in the United Arab Emirates.
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