Ali al-Naimi, the Saudi oil minister, was reported as saying his country was committed to fighting global warming, but the world had to accept it would be dependent for decades on fossil fuels.
"We are a very strong participant to all conventions and protocols dealing with climate change and protection of the planet," he was reported as saying.
But the way forward was not higher taxes or financial help for alternative energy sources such as coal, he insisted. "We do not like policies that discriminate against petroleum or fossil fuels ingeneral."
See full story