Video length: 06:23 Renewable Energy Arab alliance allocates $10bn for green energy projects The Arab Coordination Group, an alliance of regional and international development institutions, has allocated $10 billion until 2030 to support energy transition in developing countries. The funding will drive a “comprehensive and affordable” transition to renewable energy in developing countries, the group said in a statement released during the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai. The […] December 6, 2023
Agriculture UAE companies to develop irrigation project in Morocco Dubai-based Metito Utilities and Tahliya Group, a UAE-based infrastructure company in Africa, have signed an agreement to develop an irrigation project using desalinated water in Morocco. The desalination projects will be powered by renewable energy, the companies said in a statement released during the Cop28 climate summit taking place in Dubai. No financial details on […] December 6, 2023
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, […] December 6, 2023
Energy John Kerry unveils US roadmap for nuclear fusion John Kerry, the US special envoy on climate, has unveiled his country’s roadmap for international collaboration on nuclear fusion. Speaking on the sidelines of the Cop28 summit on Tuesday, Kerry said he believed fusion could provide abundant clean energy without the harmful emissions of traditional sources. “Fusion can be a critical piece of the energy […] December 5, 2023
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 […] December 5, 2023
Sustainability Dairy companies vow to cut methane emissions Six of the world’s largest dairy companies will soon begin disclosing their annual methane emissions as part of a new global alliance launched at the Cop28 summit in Dubai on Tuesday. Nestlé, Danone, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Bel Group and Lactalis will begin reporting their methane emissions by mid-2024 and will write action plans by […] December 5, 2023
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 […] December 5, 2023
Energy Masdar signs $16bn alliance with Spain’s renewables giant Green energy companies Iberdrola and Masdar announced a €15 billion ($16.3 billion) partnership agreement on Tuesday to explore joint offshore wind and green hydrogen projects across the world. After a co-investment in Baltic Eagle wind farm in Germany, the two parties will invest in the 1,400MW UK East Anglia 3 offshore wind project. The deal, […] December 5, 2023
Energy Improving energy efficiency key to 1.5C target, says expert The world will miss its target to limit global warming to 1.5C if it does not prioritise energy efficiency in the decarbonisation process, a renewables expert has warned. “We always say that energy efficiency is the lowest-hanging fruit,” said Dr Nawal Al Hosany, vice chair of the Global Council on Energy Efficiency. “However, it’s like […] December 5, 2023
Sustainability UAE pledges $150m for Mena water security A $150 million commitment from the UAE at Cop28 to fund water security solutions in vulnerable countries is a step in the right direction but more must be done to address the issue, say experts. Speaking at a panel discussion at the climate change conference in Dubai, Ramadan Assi, executive adviser for strategic partnerships at […] December 5, 2023
Renewable Energy Egypt strikes Cop28 deals to drive green energy goals Egypt has signed several major agreements at the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai, as part of its drive to achieve its green energy goals, a local daily reported. Minister of international cooperation Rania Al-Mashat oversaw the signing of agreements with the Norwegian company Scatec, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the British International Investment (BII) […] December 5, 2023
Sustainability $92bn plan to make Riyadh greener for Expo 2030 Saudi Arabia will invest $92 billion to make Riyadh one of the world’s most sustainable cities by 2030, the kingdom’s tourism minister has said. Riyadh was awarded hosting rights for the 2030 World Expo, an event Dubai staged to widespread acclaim in 2021-2022 following a one-year delay due to the pandemic. Princess Haifa bint Mohammed […] December 5, 2023
Energy Al Jaber promises Cop28 is focused on ‘the science’ Dr Sultan Al Jaber defended his work as president of Cop28 on Monday, after criticism of remarks he made about climate science. “Everything this presidency has been working on, and continues to work on, is focused and centred around the science,” he told reporters in a press briefing at the UN summit. The Guardian newspaper […] December 4, 2023
Video length: 06:23 Banking and 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 […] December 4, 2023
Energy No transition without fossil fuels, says GCC energy chief As Cop28 negotiators tussle over the future of fossil fuels, a senior GCC official has suggested there will be no energy transition without them. Dr Mohammed Al Rashidi, director of energy and economic affairs at the GCC’s general secretariat, told AGBI at the climate summit: “If fossil fuels were gone from tomorrow, everything would shut […] December 4, 2023
Banking and 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. […] December 4, 2023
Sustainability Dubai businesses stepped up sustainability ahead of Cop28 Dubai companies accelerated their sustainability initiatives in the run-up to the UAE’s hosting of the Cop28 summit, which commenced on Thursday. According to a survey of Dubai companies conducted by AGBI and the British Business Group (BBG), more than one quarter (26 percent) of the BBG’s 72 members said they had ramped up their sustainability initiatives in the […] December 4, 2023
Sustainability Abu Dhabi fund launched to conserve Amazon rainforest The One Amazon Impact Fund, which will be headquartered in Abu Dhabi and was officially launched on the sidelines of Cop28 in Dubai, expects to launch its first offering in Q1 2024, raising funds to preserve the 750 million-hectare Amazon rainforest. The fund will sell digital tokens representing the perceived value of one hectare of […] December 4, 2023
Energy UAE among nations vowing to treble global nuclear capacity Leaders from 21 countries have pledged to treble global nuclear capacity by 2050, in a bid to advance the transition towards net zero. Nine heads of state endorsed the declaration to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050 during the Cop28 summit, the UAE state-owned Wam news agency reported. Canada, Czechia, Ghana, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Moldova, […] December 4, 2023
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 […] December 4, 2023
Health UAE president expands fund to fight tropical diseases Reaching the Last Mile – a global philanthropic health initiative by UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan – has increased the size of its flagship fund five-fold to $500 million, with $340.2 million raised to date, following donations made during Cop28. The 10-year RLM Fund was set up in 2017, in partnership […] December 4, 2023
Health Climate funding for health needs to scale up tenfold Levels of climate funding directed towards global health must be multiplied tenfold in order to address the “devastating” risks associated with global warming, according to Maria Neira, director for environment, climate change and health at the World Health Organization (WHO). Currently just 0.5 percent of climate funds are reaching the health system, despite pollution claiming […] December 3, 2023
