The pointless debate about lobbies and the energy the world needs – which Guterres ignores

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the plenary session of delegates at COP31 in Turkey and delivered an inflammatory speech. Completely out of touch with reality. “Fossil fuels,” he said, “must go the way of the dinosaurs. But the dinosaurs didn’t have a lobby; fossil fuels do.” For a start, the example is poorly chosen. Dinosaurs, before becoming extinct due to a gigantic meteorite – against which even a hypothetical lobby would have done very little – lived on this planet for around 160 million years. So Guterres’s remark seems more like an unwitting wish than a condemnation. Some analysts argue that fossil fuels have their days numbered. As for the lobby, that is one of the most pointless and predictable arguments one could use. Everyone has a lobby: fossil fuels, renewables, electric cars, nuclear power, hydrogen, batteries and even scooters. And they all work in their own legitimate interests.

Some succeed, while others do not. Over the past two decades, for example, renewables have experienced a veritable boom. However, making a dent in the market share of fossil fuels remains challenging—though not for the demagogic arguments put forward by Guterres. Consumption of coal, oil, and natural gas continues to rise, setting new records every year. This is not due to lobbying, but to the world’s insatiable need for energy, starting with the several billion people living in total or partial energy poverty. Neither renewables nor other energy production systems are keeping pace. According to the latest report from the Energy Institute, the share of energy consumption met by fossil fuels stands at 82 per cent of the global total. This represents a slight percentage decrease, but within an ever-growing pie, meaning absolute figures continue to rise. It is worth noting that the aircraft that carried him from New York to Turkey was itself fuelled by fossil fuels. As UN Secretary-General, Guterres would be better advised to focus on ensuring sufficient and affordable energy for the world’s poor. He might also explain why, after 31 years of global meetings, the agreed targets appear increasingly out of reach; perhaps this is partly due to the dinosaurs who inhabit UN Headquarters.