A ritual that makes no sense to China and India – Are you enjoying it?

By Vijay Jayaraj

Last week, Greta Thunberg called the COP27 climate meeting a “scam”, providing a platform for “cleansing, lying and cheating”. The teen climate activist was probably right – for a change.

Many European countries that have pledged to withdraw from coal, oil and natural gas at previous meetings have been unable to keep their promises. In the case of developing countries that are highly dependent on hydrocarbons, the distinction is even more pronounced. For them, the meetings have become a rite of passage through movements of green orthodoxy while intent on increasing the consumption of fossil fuels needed to sustain their economies.

This week will be no different from the 27th^order version of the United Nations Conference of the Parties is underway in Egypt with bleak anticipation and solemn, but empty commitments.

India and China – two of the largest fossil fuel users – will continue to play a ceremonial role at the meeting rather than accept the pressure of a green priesthood imposed by Western governments. dominate. The energy needs of the two Asian nations – and those of others like them – are too great to do otherwise.

Even the geopolitical tensions in the Ukraine conflict have not stopped these countries from being determined to secure more fossil fuels. China is the number one buyer of crude oil by sea from Russia, with an output of 1 million barrels per day. India is not far behind. Russia is now largest supplier of crude oil to the subcontinentaccounts for 22% of its total imports.

India has 300 million people living in poverty – on less than $2 a day. The price of oil and gas has increased so rapidly, the country must ensure energy at a reasonable price to avoid an inflation rate that will be catastrophic for lower and middle-income citizens.

India’s commitment to the Paris climate agreement is non-binding, allowing it to prioritize domestic energy needs ahead of emissions reduction targets. The embrace of the Net Zero fever has become the warmest, posing a distant and almost meaningless thing 2070 day target. India’s state-owned coal company, Coal India Ltd (CIL), has an ambitious annual production target of 1 billion tonnes.

While these numbers are impressive, they pale in comparison to China’s. In 2021, China’s coal production is more than 4 billion tons and will increase in the coming years. According to the US Energy Information Administration“By far, China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal, accounting for 46 percent of global coal production and 49 percent of global coal consumption – roughly as much as the rest of the world combined.”

Ironically, the country’s coal production began to rise after Beijing joined the Paris climate accord In 2016. Even more astonishing is that much of the world’s renewable technology is produced by China’s coal-fired plants. Chinese coal is responsible to support production more than 60 percent of solar panels in the world.

Neither the 2016 Paris agreement nor the Net Zero movement could reverse China and India’s dependence on fossil fuels. Unlike Europe, no country is willing to sacrifice economic growth and a certain level of energy independence for the destructive – and unattainable – goals of climate warningers.

The green promises made at COP27 by China and India will be superficial.

Vijay Jayaraj is a Research Associate at CO2 AllianceArlington, Virginia.

This commentary was first published at American thinkerNovember 7, 2022 and can be accessed here.He holds a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of East Anglia, UK, and resides in India.