By Abbas Nazil
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has continued to be a major obstacle to global climate action, leveraging its dominance in oil production to slow international efforts to reduce fossil fuel use.
The kingdom, home to 36 million people, depends heavily on oil exports for national revenue, with fossil fuel sales accounting for around 60 percent of the government budget, and its state-owned company Aramco generating immense profits.
Experts describe Saudi Arabia’s approach to UN climate negotiations as a “wrecking ball,” using procedural tactics to delay agreements, dispute agendas, and resist any commitments to phase out fossil fuels.
For decades, Saudi Arabia and its OPEC allies have ensured that consensus is required for UN climate decisions, giving them disproportionate influence over outcomes and enabling them to block progress on key issues, including fossil fuel reduction and support for vulnerable countries.
Despite this, Saudi Arabia faces acute domestic climate challenges, with the country already experiencing extreme heat, water scarcity, and flash floods, and projections suggesting future “ultra-extreme” heatwaves reaching up to 56C, threatening human survival and critical infrastructure.
The kingdom has also begun investing in renewable energy domestically, aiming for half of its electricity from solar and wind by 2030, while simultaneously exporting maximum amounts of oil to fund economic diversification under its Vision 2030 plan.
Saudi Arabia’s strategy combines slowing the global energy transition, decarbonizing internally, and monetizing every barrel of oil for funding its future green economy, a move critics say prioritizes profit over urgent climate mitigation.
Climate analysts warn that delays in phasing out fossil fuels not only harm global efforts but also exacerbate domestic risks, creating a vicious cycle where energy-intensive adaptation measures, such as desalination and air conditioning, further increase greenhouse gas emissions.
Calls for reform in UN negotiations include supermajority voting and sanctions for procedural obstruction, aimed at countering the outsized influence of fossil fuel-dependent nations like Saudi Arabia.
The kingdom’s dual role as climate obstructer abroad and climate-vulnerable state at home underscores the urgent need for accelerated global action to prevent escalating environmental and human impacts.
