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Cop28

Cop28 is the climate change conference that was held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in 2023

Expo City

Expo City Dubai set to be powered by renewables

Expo City Dubai, which will host the Cop28 summit shortly, will eventually be fully powered by renewables, as the UAE moves to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Expanding on Expo City’s current on-site renewable energy capacity, Dewa, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, will permanently provide solar energy to the entire Expo City site through […]

Adnoc and Santos are working together on net zero projects

Adnoc and Santos link up to work on net zero goals

Abu Dhabi oil major Adnoc and Australia’s Santos have signed an agreement to develop a joint global carbon management platform aimed at decarbonising markets in the Asia-Pacific region. The companies will also work together on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.  In addition, Adnoc and Santos will jointly explore the development of a carbon dioxide shipping […]

60% of GCC consumers are concerned about sustainability, but only 12% of companies have set a net zero target

Shoppers ‘will pay premium for sustainable products’

Consumers are willing to pay more to be sustainable, a study has found, even as most businesses remain far from meeting their environmental goals.  A survey of 23,000 global consumers by management consultancy Bain & Company found that 64 percent of respondents reported high levels of concern about the environment. Most said their worries had […]

The Burj al Arab, Dubai, in three of its colour phases: the Cop28 occupancy boost for UAE hotels means the city will be close to full capacity

Cop28 brings big boost in occupancy for UAE hotels

Hotels in the UAE are expected to see double-digit growth in occupancy rates over the next month as they prepare to welcome tens of thousands of Cop28 attendees. More than 70,000 participants, including world leaders, non-government organisations, private sector representatives, indigenous peoples and young people are scheduled to attend the 28th annual iteration of the […]

The UAE is looking at how to limit food wastage and the carbon impact of the food served at Cop28, said climate change and environment minister Mariam Almheiri

UAE refreshes strategy to reduce food waste by 50%

The UAE has launched an action plan to reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2030, minister of climate change and environment Mariam Almheiri said. At Cop28, which will be hosted in Dubai later this month, the UAE is prioritising the transformation of food and agricultural systems. Earlier this year, the Emirate launched the Cop28 […]

The Al Dhafra solar plant in Abu Dhabi covers 20 sq km and can power 200,000 homes

UAE opens world’s largest single-site solar plant

The UAE’s Al Dhafra project – described by its developers as the world’s largest single-site solar power plant – has been formally inaugurated, with an annual production capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).  The Al Dhafra solar PV (photovoltaic) plant is located 35 kilometres from Abu Dhabi’s capital city. It can generate enough electricity to power […]

The UAE minister of climate change and environment, Mariam Almheiri, right

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 […]

UAE Minister for Climate and the Environment Mariam Almheiri

UAE may revise climate strategy after subpar ranking

The UAE is keen to update its strategy on climate change after an independent research group ranked it “insufficient”, the Gulf state’s climate change and environment minister Mariam Almheiri has said.  “Going from highly insufficient to insufficient was, let’s say, a step in the right direction, but we’re still striving for more,” Almheiri told reporters, […]

Carbon credits are traded by companies to offset their emissions

Dubai startup to create Africa carbon offset projects

Dubai’s Blue Carbon will deliver environmental and societal benefits from its carbon offset projects in Africa, a senior executive has said, rejecting criticism from independent experts who question whether such schemes lead to real emissions reductions. In September Blue Carbon, whose chairman is Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook al Maktoum of Dubai’s ruling family, signed a memorandum […]

An Adnoc petrol station in Sharjah. The oil giant aims to raise production capacity to 5m barrels per day

Hydrocarbon has role in ‘fair’ energy transition, says Adnoc

Adnoc believes hydrocarbons will play a role in the energy transition despite their contribution to climate change, the Abu Dhabi state oil company has told AGBI. “All credible energy outlooks” show that “both renewable and conventional energy will continue to be needed to ensure a fair and responsible energy transition,” said a spokesperson. “We recognise […]

Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths

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 […]

Sheikha Shamma Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family, set up the think tank UICCA

Think tank crowdsources ideas to battle climate change

A UAE think tank has launched a crowdsourcing platform to find ideas to tackle climate change.  Climate Call is an initiative of UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), an organisation set up by Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family.  The platform invites users from around […]

Protestors against climate change

UN calls for more in pre-Cop28 climate progress review

More action is needed to make progress in the fight against climate change, the United Nations has said in the lead up to Cop28. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) analysed 195 commitments outlining the steps countries plan to take to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.  By current […]

COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, right, and EU Climate Commissioner and Chief COP28 Negotiator Wopke Hoekstra, left

EU to kickstart ‘loss and damage’ fund at Cop28

The European Union and its member states are preparing to announce a “substantial financial contribution” to the long-awaited United Nations fund to help vulnerable countries recover from climate-caused damage.  The EU’s contribution to the “loss and damage fund” is expected to be announced during the Cop28 climate change summit starting later this month.  The handout […]

Wasl Tower in Dubai will be one of the world’s tallest buildings to use ceramic fins to achieve energy efficiency

Wasl installs 22,000 solar panels across its Dubai buildings

Dubai state-owned real estate developer Wasl has installed more than 22,000 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels across its 44 buildings and facilities, adding 11 GWh annually to the emirate’s grid capacity. The developer says the solar energy will offset 4,500 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, driving sustainability across Wasl’s communities. It says the carbon offsets […]

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Abu Dhabi in July

Indian PM may attend Cop28 meeting in Dubai

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the two-day world climate action summit, beginning December 1, during Cop28 in Dubai, according to an Indian media report. Although the official announcement of Modi’s visit is awaited, the prime minister will most likely attend the summit, Times of India reported, citing sources. Environment minister Bhupender […]

aviation offset sustainable aviation fuel

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 […]