Climate delay discourse in the year 2024

In the ongoing global discussion about climate change and energy transition, various players have been making significant moves and statements.

The Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association (ANGEA) has advocated for natural gas as a climate-friendly alternative and a necessary "bridge fuel" in the energy transition. Paul Everingham, CEO of ANGEA, believes that natural gas will play an important role in enabling a fair transition to net zero, considering the limits of developing Asia's natural resources, economic capacities, and environmental responsibility.

However, not everyone shares this view. Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota, has suggested that electric vehicles (EVs) will only reach 30% market share, with the rest being taken up by hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars, fuel-burning cars, and hybrids.

Meanwhile, the media has come under scrutiny for perpetuating and profiting from dangerous climate delay narratives. Belinda Noble, founder of Comms Declare, has identified three main trends in climate delay tactics: companies exploiting economic and security fears, pushing "false" solutions such as carbon capture technology, or trying to align themselves with clean energy.

In the world of politics, Shell abandoned a target to reduce emissions intensity and stated that it would keep oil production steady. This decision was met with criticism, as a recent study by Cornell University found that gas produces more emissions than coal when its extraction and export are taken into account.

Southeast Asia's largest oil and gas firms have announced their intention to play a leading role in the region's decarbonisation efforts by focusing on methane emissions reduction. On the other hand, the methane gas industry in Australia has positioned gas as essential to the economy and jobs, through the "keep the country running" campaign.

Indonesia has classified certain types of coal as "green" in its sustainable finance taxonomy, baffling investors. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola, the world's biggest plastic polluter, has rolled back its voluntary sustainability goals and shifted its focus to plastic recycling.

The United States obstructed efforts for a production cap on plastic at the plastic treaty negotiations in Busan, South Korea. Big tech and old media are also facing criticism for failing the public, with Belinda Noble stating that they are still evenly split on climate policy despite accepting that the world is rapidly warming.

At the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia acted as a "wrecking ball," leading a bloc of countries that opposed any text committing to the phase-out of fossil fuels. Amin H. Nasser, CEO of Saudi oil major Aramco, stated that imposing an "unworkable and unaffordable" energy transition plan on poor countries would threaten their economic progress and social cohesion.

Jim Fitterling, chairman and CEO of Dow, one of the world's biggest plastic producers, said plastics are vital for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, WPP, the world's biggest ad agency, which works for oil majors, has stated that it seeks to "fairly represent" the commitments of its energy clients and will not take on any work that is "designed to frustrate the objectives of the Paris Agreement."

Companies such as Woodside Energy and Petronas prefer to use the word "ambition" rather than target when it comes to their decarbonisation promises. BP has also scaled back a target to cut production due to oil prices and interest rates affecting the investment appeal of renewable energy.

In 2024, several carbon-intensive companies, including Shell, BP, Crocs, Microsoft, and Unilever, rolled back their climate commitments. Unfortunately, available search results do not provide specific information on which companies have withdrawn or relaxed their climate targets or hydrocarbon emission reduction goals.

As the debate continues, it is clear that various parties hold different views on the best path forward for a sustainable energy future. The challenge lies in finding a balance that considers the economic, environmental, and social impacts of the decisions made.