Opinion Sustainability Gulf industrial decarbonising needs ambition and urgency The UAE has published a pathway to carbon zero by 2050. It now needs support from policy
Opinion Energy The year ahead for Mena energy The region’s chasms have rarely been so wide – they must be bridged in 2024
Opinion Oil & Gas Cops in Baku and Belem bode well for Global South Azerbaijan and Brazil can bring their own perspectives on climate change
Analysis Sustainability Wary optimism for Cop deal to ‘set world in right direction’ Cop28 left behind an air of mixed emotions as it wrapped up on Wednesday, reflecting the complexity of the discussions and outcomes. A visibly jubilant Sultan Al Jaber strolled into the plenary, sharing a warm hug with UN climate chief Simon Stiell, basking in the applause as they marked a “historic” milestone: the first time […]
Oil & Gas ‘Oil will still be needed’ – producers react to Cop28 Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said the final Cop28 deal would not affect the kingdom’s oil and gas exports, as the fossil fuels sector reacted to being included in the climate change conference’s final wording for the first time in its three-decade history. “The text provides alternatives. But I think these texts do not affect our […]
Opinioncop28Once I’d got into the swing of things, and learned to judge distances, Cop28 was quite funFrank Kane, Editor-at-Large
OpinionEnvironmentWhat’s needed for our climate tech entrepreneurs is an equivalent of Apple’s Genius BarSheikha Shamma bint Sultan Al Nahyan
OpinionENVIRONMENTAll GCC nations are in the top 10 of global polluters. This is what they can do about itRobin Mills, CEO Qamar Energy
Video length: 04:21 Sustainability Historic deal struck at Cop28 to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels The Cop28 climate summit in Dubai concluded with the adoption of a landmark agreement urging countries to “transition away” from coal, oil, and gas this decade. This wording replaced the previously proposed “phase out” language that was a central point of contention throughout the talks. It marks the first time in Cop’s 30-year history that […]
Video length: 06:07 Video Sustainability Space data joins the battle against greenwashing Space data is a vital tool for measuring decarbonisation and preventing greenwashing, an industry expert has told AGBI at the Cop28 conference in Dubai. “There is no other way to monitor [decarbonisation and carbon credits] at that scale if it wasn’t for Earth observation data,” said David Merren, assistant director for analytics and spatial at […]
Sustainability Western Australia looks to Gulf for green deals The state of Western Australia – the heart of the country’s mining, steel and oil and gas industries – is planning partnerships with Arab nations to develop its renewables sector and curb emissions. “We’ve got a dual mission,” Reece Whitby, Western Australia’s minister for environment and climate action, told AGBI during Cop28 in Dubai. “We’ve […]
Sustainability Arab Coordination Group announces $50bn for Africa The Arab Coordination Group, made up of regional and international development institutions, has allocated $50 billion to advance sustainable development in Africa through to 2030. The funding was announced at the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference in Riyadh and further discussed at a panel arranged by the Saudi Fund for Development on Sunday on the sidelines of […]
Renewable Energy Morocco reveals strategy to speed up energy transition Morocco is accelerating plans to add 9 gigawatts to its electricity generation capacity – enough power for nearly 8 million homes – with 7GW coming from renewables. But the country will need to discover or import more gas as it bets on creating a new hydrogen economy, according to Leila Benali, its minister of energy […]
Sustainability Bahrain seeks 30% reduction in emissions by 2035 Bahrain aims to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2035 and reach zero carbon by 2060 as part of its national carbon neutrality strategy. The Gulf state recently launched a national energy strategy and a $750 million fund, in addition to establishing the Safaa voluntary platform to offset carbon emissions, the UAE state-run Wam […]
Manufacturing UAE considers a tax on packaging to fund recycling The UAE is considering introducing a tax on packaging, according to an industry expert, as the country continues to ramp up its sustainability agenda. Ali Al Dhaheri, CEO of Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company, or Tadweer, told AGBI that discussions with the UAE government were taking place about bringing in an extended producer responsibility (EPR) […]
Energy Al Jaber calls for ‘flexibility’ on fossil fuel phase-out deal Cop28 president Sultan Al Jaber has urged delegates to set aside their differences to achieve a deal to phase out fossil fuels. “I need you to step up, and I need you to come out of your comfort zones. And I kindly ask you all to be flexible and to truly and genuinely engage in […]
Video length: 04:21 Analysis Sustainability Wary optimism for Cop deal to ‘set world in right direction’ Cop28 left behind an air of mixed emotions as it wrapped up on Wednesday, reflecting the complexity of the discussions and outcomes. A visibly jubilant Sultan Al Jaber strolled into the plenary, sharing a warm hug with UN climate chief Simon Stiell, basking in the applause as they marked a “historic” milestone: the first time […]
Video length: 06:07 Video Sustainability Space data joins the battle against greenwashing Space data is a vital tool for measuring decarbonisation and preventing greenwashing, an industry expert has told AGBI at the Cop28 conference in Dubai. “There is no other way to monitor [decarbonisation and carbon credits] at that scale if it wasn’t for Earth observation data,” said David Merren, assistant director for analytics and spatial at […]
Video length: 05:05 VIDEO Renewable Energy Gulf’s biggest asset is ‘sun in the sky’ – not its oil reserves The Middle East could become a powerhouse of green industrialisation by exploiting its vast renewable energy sources, the chair of the Energy Transitions Commission has told AGBI at the Cop28 summit in Dubai. “Your long-term asset in this region is not the oil under the ground, it’s the sun in the sky,” said Adair Turner, […]
Video length: 04:43 Video Masdar City exec: Let’s talk about greenwashing Greenwashing – a deceitful marketing gimmick where companies exaggerate their environmental actions – is “egregious” as it takes advantage of a movement that affects everyone on earth, according to Bill Weir, CNN’s chief climate correspondent. A recent global survey conducted by US-based The Harris Poll and sponsored by Google Cloud found that six out of […]
Renewable Energy Morocco reveals strategy to speed up energy transition Morocco is accelerating plans to add 9 gigawatts to its electricity generation capacity – enough power for nearly 8 million homes – with 7GW coming from renewables. But the country will need to discover or import more gas as it bets on creating a new hydrogen economy, according to Leila Benali, its minister of energy […]
Sustainability Dubai targets 50% carbon emission reduction by 2030 Dubai plans to cut carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030 to achieve carbon neutrality. The new plan will accelerate the emirate’s transition towards clean energy, backed by a clear roadmap for reaching its net-zero goal by 2050, Dubai Media Office said in a statement. The strategy will focus on environmental protection, biodiversity, conservation of […]
Renewable Energy UAE’s Masdar to develop green hydrogen in Spain Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) is exploring developing a green hydrogen plant in central Spain to aid in the decarbonisation of Europe’s hard-to-abate sectors. The Abu Dhabi-based renewables energy company is collaborating with Verbund Green Hydrogen on the proposed venture – in an agreement which was signed at the UN’s Climate Change Conference Cop28 […]
Oil & Gas Libyan Oil Company commits to cut gas flaring The Libyan National Oil Company is joining the wider global oil and gas industry in committing to near-zero gas flaring by 2030, as part of wider efforts by the state-owned energy producer to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. LNOC chairman Farhat Bengdara said in an interview with AGBI at the UN Cop28 climate conference in Dubai […]
Renewable Energy Dubai opens world’s largest concentrated solar power project UAE Vice President and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has inaugurated the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) project as the Gulf state accelerates towards becoming net zero by 2050. The project is part of the AED15.78 billion ($4.30 billion) fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in […]
Renewable Energy Acwa Power to develop $1bn green hydrogen project in Indonesia Saudi-listed Acwa Power will develop a $1 billion green hydrogen facility – the largest in Indonesia – that will start commercial production in 2026. The project will be codeveloped with PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), Indonesia’s state-owned electricity provider and PT Pupuk Indonesia, a state-owned fertiliser and chemical producer. The agreement was signed on the […]
Renewable Energy Masdar expands renewables footprint to Jordan and Europe UAE company Masdar has expanded its renewables footprint to Jordan, while exploring the development of a green hydrogen supply chain from Abu Dhabi to Europe. The agreements were signed on the sidelines of the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai. Masdar signed a joint development agreement with the Jordanian energy and mineral resources ministry to develop […]
Energy 50 oil companies pledge to speed up climate action Cop28 president Sultan Al Jaber has launched the oil and gas decarbonisation charter (OGDC), a global industry initiative designed to speed up climate action across the oil and gas sectors. To date, 50 companies, representing more than 40 percent of global oil production, have signed the OGDC, with national oil companies (NOCs) representing over 60 […]
Video length: 06:23 Banking & Finance How banks are navigating fossil fuel financing Banks are navigating a complex battleground over fossil fuel phase-out: deciding whether or not to fund companies in oil and gas and other high-emitting sectors, they told a Dubai event staged in parallel with the Cop28 summit. The chief executive of ING, the Netherlands’ biggest retail bank, said the company had stopped providing dedicated finance […]
Banking & Finance UAE banks to increase green financing to $272bn Major national banks in the UAE are to boost their green financing commitments, aiming to exceed a collective AED1 trillion ($272 billion), sources have told AGBI. The banks aim to accelerate financing in areas such as assisting businesses in transitioning to zero carbon emissions, particularly in harder to abate and small and medium-sized enterprise sectors. […]
Sustainability Business and philanthropy forum mobilises $5bn The Cop28 business and philanthropy climate forum mobilised $5 billion in funding to advance transformative climate and nature initiatives. The forum saw the participation of over 1,300 key stakeholders assembled to help showcase and accelerate progress on climate targets and industry transitions. “To fix climate finance, we must leverage the knowledge, resources and power of […]
Sustainability Climate negotiator highlights gaps in loss and damage fund A climate negotiator has raised concerns about substantial structural and operational gaps in the United Nations-administered “loss and damage fund” announced on Thursday at the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai. The first big deal of the event, negotiators officially agreed to set up a $100 billion fund that aims to provide financial support to developing […]
Construction US Green Building Council to launch new ratings system The US Green Building Council is launching a new ratings system to measure structures against tough sustainability targets. It is the first time in 10 years that the organisation has updated its policy, with the industry largely relying on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) green building system. According to the US Green […]
SPECIAL REPORT Construction How Mena is moving to sustainable construction The year is 2065 and humans are living in space, in villas of celestial materials mined from asteroids and equipped with infinity pools. Far-fetched? Perhaps, but this model was one of dozens featured last month in an exhibition on the past, present and future of sustainable design in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). […]
Construction Concrete institute launching low carbon building code The American Concrete Institute is unveiling what it claims is the first-ever low carbon building code at the Cop28 climate conference. Building codes are a set of rules that standardise the construction process. They have historically focused on safety and serviceability, but must now address sustainability needs, Antonio Nanni, a professor at the University of […]
Infrastructure Saudi water agency seeking global partnerships A Saudi government body set up this week to address global water challenges hopes to collaborate with other organisations across the world to meet its goals, the kingdom’s environment minister said on Friday. “The vision for this initiative is not just about creating a research and policy platform,” said Abdul Rahman Al Fadhli, Saudi Arabia’s […]
EXCLUSIVE Logistics Shipping industry calls for ‘fair access’ to clean fuel Access to clean fuel is the biggest obstacle to the global shipping industry achieving its decarbonisation goals, but the Gulf region could play a key role in addressing this, according to the head of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). The high-emitting shipping sector has historically burned “the kind of fuel nobody else wants” – […]
Analysis Aviation Mena’s use of green jet fuel ‘needs incentives’ to take off On Wednesday morning, an Emirates A380 took off from Dubai International Airport and headed down the coastline. It’s a familiar route, but this was something new: one of the Airbus’s four engines was 100 percent powered by sustainable aviation fuel. The 45-minute test flight came in a week of advances for sustainable fuels, known as […]
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Increase air fares to save planet, says Dubai Airports CEO Adding 20 percent to the price of an airline ticket to fuel the aviation industry’s sustainability charge will be money well spent in order to keep a “clear conscience” on the climate threat, according to the CEO of Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths. Giving a keynote address at Dubai Airshow on Tuesday morning, Griffiths said the […]
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Aviation in struggle to reach net zero targets Gulf commercial airlines have committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 by switching to sustainable aviation fuels, adopting new technologies and buying carbon offsets, among other measures. But they face challenges in doing so. The aviation industry hopes measures such as these will enable it to realise two seemingly conflicting ambitions: doubling the volume […]
Sustainability Turning trash into tokens: blockchain’s answer to waste Trash, garbage, detritus. Whatever you call it, the waste management industry around the world faces a huge challenge as it must handle a substantial and growing volume of rubbish. In 2020, according to the World Bank, the world generated 2.24 billion tonnes of solid waste, amounting to a footprint of 0.79 kg per person per […]
Finance Agtech in spotlight as Mena startup funding recovers Startup funding in the Mena region in October remained subdued on a year-on-year basis, but agtech is one of the areas set to shine. Mena startups raised $156 million in October, compared to $646 million raised in October 2022, but vastly up on the $36 million raised in September, according to data from Wamda, a […]
Opinion Banking & Finance Mena climate tech offers opportunities for investors There are innovative ways to produce energy and improve lives without accelerating the climate crisis
Energy Energy-hungry data centres present net-zero hurdle Soaring demand for GCC data centres is creating a headwind against the region’s decarbonisation efforts, and energy use will accelerate if no interventions are made, experts say. “With expected digital growth in the GCC, new data centres will need to be built, increasing energy usage,” said Ziad Al Bawaliz, president of Turkey, Middle East & […]
Video length: 05:05 VIDEO Renewable Energy Gulf’s biggest asset is ‘sun in the sky’ – not its oil reserves The Middle East could become a powerhouse of green industrialisation by exploiting its vast renewable energy sources, the chair of the Energy Transitions Commission has told AGBI at the Cop28 summit in Dubai. “Your long-term asset in this region is not the oil under the ground, it’s the sun in the sky,” said Adair Turner, […]
Sustainability Nations pledge to cut cooling emissions by 68% by 2050 More than 60 countries have backed a pledge at Cop28 to cut air conditioning and related emissions by 68 percent of 2022 levels by 2050. They did so as a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) found that global cooling capacity will treble by then. The Global Cooling Pledge marks the world’s first collective focus on […]
Exclusive Energy Shift fossil fuel subsidies to renewables, says lobby chief Ramping up renewables while increasing oil output “sends the wrong signal” and is not the best way to tackle climate change, says the chief executive of Global Renewables Alliance, a policy group representing the clean energy industry. “Yes, the two can be done in parallel,” Bruce Douglas told AGBI at Cop28 in Dubai. “But we […]
Renewable Energy Masdar strikes project deals in Angola and Kazakhstan Abu Dhabi state clean energy company Masdar has continued to announce new projects on the sidelines of Cop28 summit in Dubai, focusing on Angola and Kazakhstan. The UAE’s clean energy company signed a concession agreement with Angola’s ministry of energy and water to build and operate a ground-mounted solar power project in the Quipungo region, […]
Sustainability Carbon capture and storage not a ‘miracle’ climate cure A new study has strongly criticised fossil fuel-producing states for incorporating carbon capture and storage (CCS) in their climate strategies, claiming the technology is being used to extend the shelf life of oil companies rather than as a climate action tool. As Cop28 kicked off in Dubai, analysis by US-based non-profit environmentalist organisation Oil Change […]
Sustainability World leaders unite after UN secretary general’s warning United Nations general secretary António Guterres has issued a call to arms for hydrocarbon producers across the world and appealed for them to “lead the transition to renewables”. In his address at the opening ceremony of the UN Cop28 in Dubai on Friday morning, Guterres likened the climate challenge to a sickness that only global […]
Cop28 Sustainability Businesses view recycling and water as climate priorities Recycling, water conservation and protecting nature are the top priorities for tackling climate change, according to a survey of Dubai companies conducted by AGBI and the British Business Group to coincide with the Cop28 climate summit. Of the 72 BBG member businesses asked, more than three quarters (79 percent) plan to prioritise recycling over the […]
Renewable Energy Emissions-only focus will ‘fail’, clean energy expert says Efforts to tackle the climate challenge will be a “failure” if they continue with an emissions-only focus, delegates were told at the opening panel discussion at this year’s Cop28 in the UAE. Dennis Pamlin, a Swedish senior adviser at clean energy think tank Mission Innovation, said focusing solely on carbon emissions was a decades-old view […]
