At COP28, Lula justifies the contradiction of participating in OPEC+

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) justified, this Saturday morning (2), in Dubai, the contradiction of Brazil, which wants to be the reference in renewable energy, participating in OPEC+, a group that brings together ten oil producing countries , but without voting rights, apart from the 13 regular members of the OPEC cartel.

According to the president, the idea is to influence oil producers to end the exploration of fossil fuels. “I think it’s important for us to participate [da Opep+] because we need to convince oil-producing countries that they need to prepare for the end of fossil fuels,” said Lula.

The statement was given in a dialogue with Brazilian civil society at the summit, which takes place until December 12 in the United Arab Emirates. “And preparing means taking advantage of the money they make from oil and making investment so that a continent like Africa, like Latin America, can produce the renewable fuels they need. Especially green hydrogen because, if we don’t create an alternative , we will not be able to say that we will end fossil fuels”, continued the president.

The invitation to join OPEC+ was made by Saudi Arabia, during President Lula’s trip to the country, in November. The proximity to the climate conference accentuated the contradiction.

Climate experts have criticized participation as a contradiction to the image of an environmental power propagated by Brazil. Fossil fuels, such as oil, are the biggest contributors to carbon emissions in the world. The president minimized it. “A lot of people were scared by the idea that Brazil was going to join OPEC. Wow, Brazil is going to join OPEC,” he said. “Brazil will not participate in OPEC, Brazil will participate in the so-called OPEC+. This name ‘OPEC Plus’ is so chic. It’s like me participating in the G7. I have participated in the G7 since I won the Presidency of the Republic. It’s G7+ I go there, I listen, I only speak after they make the decision and I leave. I don’t whistle anything.”

The regular members of OPEC, with the power to influence the price of oil barrels, are Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela (all founding members), Algeria, Angola, Congo, United Arab Emirates, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Libya and Nigeria. OPEC+ brings together the above plus Russia, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Brunei, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Sudan, South Sudan and Oman. And, in January 2024, Brazil.

Later, at an event with the theme “Forests: Protecting Nature for the Climate, Lives and Subsistence”, Lula became emotional while speaking that the forest came to “speak for itself”. The Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, and the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajara, were present, as well as indigenous and quilombola representatives.