Jeff Mason

ROME, (Reuters) – The U.S. president Joe Biden declared Sunday that it is not inconsistent for him to press energy-producing nations increase their output of fossil fuels. He also urged countries to make a commitment to energy transition.

After days of hard negotiations in Rome, Biden spoke with reporters. He spoke of “disappointment” at the failure to achieve climate goals in the talks that took place before the COP26 Climate talks in Glasgow.

Biden also urged the energy-producing countries to expand their production in order to support a global recovery. This was part of a larger effort to push OPEC and its partner to raise oil supply.

“It’s not at all inconsistent in that no one has anticipated that this year we would be in a position, or even next year, that we’re not going to use any more oil or gas,” Biden said.

Biden stated that the United States needs gasoline, even though it wants electric cars to make up 50% of U.S. vehicles by 2030.

“The idea we’re going to be able to move to renewable energy overnight and … from this moment on not use oil or not use gas or not use hydrogen, it’s just not rational,” Biden said.