COP28: Lula confirms Brazil’s entry into OPEC+ – 12/02/2023 – Environment

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stated this Saturday morning (2), in Dubai, that Brazil will participate in OPEC+ 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”, he said during an event at COP28, the UN conference on climate change.

“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.”

Lula spoke about the subject in a dialogue with Brazilian civil society at the summit, which takes place until December 12 in the United Arab Emirates.

At this event, aimed at discussing Brazil’s preparation to host COP30, in 2025, in Belém, representatives of indigenous people, quilombolas and young people spoke. Also participating were the Ministers of the Environment, Marina Silva, and the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajara.

The invitation to join OPEC+, a group that brings together ten oil-producing countries, but without the right to vote, in addition to the 13 regular members of the OPEC cartel, took place during Lula’s trip to Saudi Arabia, on the 28th and 29th of November.

The proximity to COP28, which began on the 30th, highlighted what was described by climate experts as a contradiction to the image of an environmental power propagated by Brazil. COP is a UN event that aims to combat global warming. Fossil fuels, such as oil, are the biggest contributors to carbon emissions in the world.

“A lot of people were scared by the idea that Brazil would participate in OPEC. Wow, Brazil will participate in OPEC,” said Lula, when addressing the subject in the morning.

“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.

Alexandre Silveira, Minister of Mines and Energy, commenting on Lula’s speech about Brazil’s accession to OPEC+, wrote on social media that Brazil will “lead oil-producing countries to accelerate the energy transition.”

This Friday (1st), before the announcement that the invitation had been accepted, Marina Silva told BBC Brasil that she did not see a contradiction between Brazil being in OPEC+ and defending the reduction in the use of fossil fuels.

Also for her, the country will be able to use this space to defend cleaner energy sources. “Firstly, Brazil will not participate in OPEC. It will participate as an observer, including to take advantage of the debates and technological contributions”, said Marina, alongside Fernando Haddad (Fazenda) in Dubai.

“Brazil can have a 100% clean energy matrix and help the world to also make its energy transition with green hydrogen”, he stated.

After the conversation with civil society this Saturday, Lula went to a G77 + China meeting on Climate Change. There, she gave a new speech highlighting mainly wars.

“I can’t help but use this moment to talk about peace. We are discussing the climate issue, but while we are discussing the environmental issue, we have a war between Russia and Ukraine, and an insane war between Israel and the Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip”, he stated.

“It is important that we draw attention to the fact that it is much cheaper to sit at a negotiating table and find a peaceful solution. It is impossible for people not to realize that war in modern times leads to nothing, other than the destruction of lives, homes, buildings, railways and highways. What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not war, it is practically genocide”, said Lula.