Climate scientists say fossil fuel use needs to fall rapidly – but oil-rich kingdom is working to drive up demand

Saudi Arabia is driving a huge global investment plan to create demand for its oil and gas in developing countries, an undercover investigation has revealed. Critics said the plan was designed to get countries “hooked on its harmful products”.

Little was known about the oil demand sustainability programme (ODSP) but the investigation obtained detailed information on plans to drive up the use of fossil fuel-powered cars, buses and planes in Africa and elsewhere, as rich countries increasingly switch to clean energy.

  • @[email protected]OPEnglish
    31•11 months ago

    The infuriating thing is not that Saudis are doing this. The infuriating part is that the west still treats then like allies and protects them.

    • Hyperreality
      20•11 months ago

      If politicians threaten Saudi Arabia’s interests, they cut production just before an election, and dumb voters blame the government trying to curtail their influence.

      So you can blame western governments, but western voters are just as much to blame.

      • BruceTwarzen
        20•11 months ago

        I’ll never not find it funny that americans think the president has two buttons that says: make gas expensive and make gas cheap

      • @[email protected]English
        -1•11 months ago

        It’s not wrong. Voters need to demand an infrastructure and options that allow them to not compromise their values when leading a normal life.

        • @[email protected]English
          1•11 months ago

          The thing is that most voters would be in favor of such a thing. Which is why those policies rarely find their way to polls. We don’t live in a direct democracy. We live in an oligarchy.

          Edit: Talking about the US here.

          • @[email protected]English
            1•11 months ago

            Yeah, it was a more general comment about the West. Including back-sliding democracies like the US.