Delivered by HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, OPEC Secretary General, at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 23/CMP 13/CMA 1-2), 16 November 2017, Bonn, Germany.
Mr. President,
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of OPEC, I would like to offer our deep appreciation to the Government of Fiji, the city of Bonn, and the UNFCCC Secretariat, for their excellent arrangements and warm hospitality. We join all Parties in congratulating Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama for courageously undertaking the Presidency of COP 23 at this crucial time in the UNFCCC process.
OPEC remains fully engaged and supportive of the Paris Agreement. We believe a global consensus out of the multilateral process remains the best and most inclusive way for all nations to collectively tackle climate change in a fair and equitable manner. In terms of the implementation of the Paris Agreement, we need to ensure a Party-driven process; recall different national circumstances; evoke the principles of equity and of common but differentiated responsibilities; balance mitigation, adaptation and the means of implementation, including financing for developing countries to support their actions; and take into account the overriding
priority of sustainable development.
This should appreciate what the term ‘energy transition’ means for those 1.1 billion people in developing countries that continue to suffer from acute energy poverty. It is not about a transition from one energy source to another; it is about the right to have access to modern energy services for the first time, to provide warmth, light and mobility. It should also not discriminate against any energy source. The world will
continue to need all energy sources now and in the future. It is therefore vital we collectively develop and adopt technologies that transform the environmental credentials of all energies. In this regard, OPEC welcomes coordinated action between all Parties, with industry and through various research and development platforms.
The comprehensive implementation of the Paris Agreement should be ‘win-win’ in nature, recognize the diverse priorities and circumstances of all Parties, and contribute to global growth, development and prosperity.
Thank you.