ST. PETERSBURG, June 8 — Reducing global consumption of fossil fuels would automatically mean exacerbating the problem of hunger and energy poverty, while aggressive promotion of the green agenda would mean declaring an energy war on the majority of the world’s population, Russian oil giant Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) today.

Sechin noted that the developing countries of Asia and Africa, where the largest population growth is observed, show a high demand for energy, reported Sputnik.

“In this situation, reducing global consumption of fossil fuels would automatically mean not only the preservation, but also the aggravation of the problem of hunger and energy poverty ... Therefore, the aggressive promotion of the green agenda means declaring an energy war on the majority of the world’s population,” the official said.

In addition, Sechin voiced consumers’ concerns about the uninterrupted supply of energy and the reliability of technology, as the strategy of “green” transition does not take into account this aspect.

The Russian city of St. Petersburg is hosting the 27th edition of SPIEF from June 5-8. Last year, the forum drew 17,000 participants from 130 countries and saw the signing of more than 900 agreements. — Bernama-Sputnik