Renewable Energy UAE sets sustainable aviation fuel targets The UAE is aiming to have sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) account for at least 1 percent of the total fuel supplied at airports in the Gulf state by 2031, according to a new government ruling. The Guideline on Sustainable Aviation Fuel says the country hopes to produce 700 million litres annually by 2030, according to […] December 13, 2023
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 […] December 12, 2023
Sustainability Cop28 denies ‘favouritism’ in fossil fuel wording The UN climate talks in Dubai stretched past the Tuesday morning deadline set as tensions mounted over a deal that departed from committing to a phase-out of fossil fuels. The latest draft of the global stocktake sparked fury from climate activists and politicians last night. Majid Al Suwaidi, director-general of Cop28, told a press conference […] December 12, 2023
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 […] December 12, 2023
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) […] December 12, 2023
Opinion Sustainability Semantic suggestions to break the Cop28 impasse Words matter if the final text is to gain endorsement from all December 11, 2023
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 […] December 11, 2023
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 […] December 11, 2023
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 […] December 11, 2023
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 […] December 11, 2023
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 […] December 10, 2023
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 […] December 10, 2023
Oil & Gas UAE softens on fossil fuel wording, observers say The UAE, one of the world’s largest oil producers, is considering supporting an unprecedented agreement towards ‘phasing out’ fossil fuels, observers have told AGBI. Some suggest the parties may agree to a phase-out in easier-to-abate sectors such as power generation, where reducing greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved with existing renewable technologies like solar or […] December 9, 2023
Oil & Gas Europe stands firm on fossil fuel phase-out deal at Cop28 The European Parliament is heading into the final days of negotiation at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai with a clear mission to see the absolute end of fossil fuels. At a press conference on Friday, European Parliament member Peter Liese told journalists that the delegation is demanding the “tangible phase out of fossil fuels” […] December 8, 2023
Opinion Sustainability UN simplicities hinder genuine progress at unwieldy Cop This year's Cop can point to a solid list of achievements – but the next one must downsize December 8, 2023
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 […] December 8, 2023
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 […] December 7, 2023
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 […] December 7, 2023
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 […] December 7, 2023
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 […] December 7, 2023
Energy Total CEO backs renewables to phase out fossil fuels TotalEnergies’s CEO gave his backing to an international pledge to triple renewable energy generation at the Cop28 climate summit, calling it necessary to phase out fossil fuels and decarbonise. “It’s the right way to frame the object, tripling renewables, because if we don’t do that, there’s no way to phase out fossil energy,” Patrick Pouyanne […] December 7, 2023
Finance Sovereign funds struggle to channel trillions into climate finance Sovereign wealth funds that control nearly $12 trillion in assets are unlikely to quickly dismantle the hurdles in the way of urgently needed increases to their climate investments, even as Cop28 talks seek to close the funding gap. Funds such as those of Norway and the UAE Cop28 host, face obstacles including mandates that require […] December 7, 2023
