Energy Masdar consortium to build $1bn solar plant in Saudi Arabia Abu Dhabi state clean energy company Masdar has entered into a consortium agreement to develop a solar power plant in the Madinah province of Saudi Arabia. The group, which also includes France’s EDF Renewables and Saudi-based Nesma Company, submitted the most cost-competitive bid of $16.84 per megawatt hour to win the contract, the companies said […] November 8, 2023
Sustainability Droughts could cost Tunisia $1bn annually Water shortages in Tunisia could cost the North African country up to $1.3 billion annually by 2030, according to a report from the World Bank. For the sixth year in a row, below-average rainfall impacted the country’s agricultural production. The sector’s value fell 9 percent in real terms in the first half of this year […] November 7, 2023
Opinion Sustainability Loss, damage and Cop28’s multi-trillion-dollar challenge There is a body of opinion in the Middle East that the loss and damage concept is not fit for purpose November 6, 2023
Sustainability Cop28 and UN near deal on $100bn climate damage fund The UAE’s Cop28 presidency, the United Nations and its partners have moved a step closer to setting up a fund to help vulnerable countries recover from damage caused by climate change. The plan to create a climate “loss and damage” fund was hailed as a breakthrough for developing country negotiations at Cop27 in Egypt last […] November 6, 2023
Analysis Sustainability What went wrong with nature-based carbon credits Nature-based carbon credits were supposed to be a means whereby countries and companies, Middle Eastern entities among them, could offset their greenhouse gas emissions. Advocates of the credits have argued they help mitigate climate change and at the same time benefit rural communities. Yet the reality has disappointed. After Cop26 in Glasgow in late 2021, […] November 6, 2023
Sustainability Emerging markets need more ‘climate-responsive’ projects There is an “alarming shortage” of projects working to reduce the negative effects of climate change in emerging markets, a new study by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has found. The report noted that the number of “climate-responsive” projects in emerging markets funded by the private sector has been decreasing by around 10 […] November 3, 2023
Cop28 Philanthropy to play key role in negating climate threat The trillion dollar philanthropy industry can be the “glue” that brings together governments and the private sector in the global fight against climate change, according to the special representative for business and philanthropy at this month’s Cop28. Speaking at the Dubai Business Forum this week, Badr Jafar, who is also CEO of Crescent Enterprises, explained […] November 2, 2023
Sustainability French minister hails positive steps in Cop28 negotiations France’s minister of energy transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, has hailed positive progress in climate negotiations, especially on the financial support for vulnerable countries hit by climate disasters. A final attempt to push through consensus became the most important point of the discussions ahead of the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai. Seventy ministers and 100 delegates met […] November 1, 2023
Sustainability Pope and King Charles III to attend Cop28 The Pope and the UK monarch are due to attend the Cop28 climate change summit in Dubai next month, according to statements. King Charles III will attend the opening ceremony of the World Climate Action Summit at Cop28 on December 1 at the invitation of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and at […] November 1, 2023
Sustainability Businesses urged to sign up to UAE’s Cop28 charter The Cop28 presidency has drawn up a Net-Zero Transition Charter to which private sector businesses can sign up to give greater credibility to their net zero strategies. The aim is to encourage the private sector to take “bolder action on climate change and commit to greater accountability in their net-zero emissions pledges,” according to a […] November 1, 2023
Renewable Energy Saudi Arabia urging businesses to make solar shift Saudi Arabia is doing more to encourage commercial and industrial enterprises to shift to solar energy as part of its green transition but the regulatory environment is still lagging due to a conservative gradualist approach, industry players say. The kingdom is trying to put itself at the forefront of green energy technology and consumption through […] November 1, 2023
Renewable Energy Irena and industry leaders draw roadmap to fast-track renewables The energy transition away from fossil-based systems must be accelerated to keep global warming at bay, according to intergovernmental agency the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Irena and the Cop28 presidency combined with a group of industry players – the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) – in calling for a trebling of […] October 31, 2023
Sustainability UAE mangrove restoration project to be global template A project to restore mangroves around Abu Dhabi will be used as a template and exported around the world. Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and environmental tech company Dendra are working to plant 27 million mangroves in the UAE capital by 2030, in partnership with the emirate’s sovereign wealth fund ADQ. It makes up almost a […] October 30, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Renewable Energy Abu Dhabi plans hydrogen carbon certification framework Abu Dhabi plans to roll out a carbon certification framework for the hydrogen industry next year in a bid to become a leader in developing the clean fuel. The emirate plans to apply the framework to both its production and use of hydrogen, Carlos Gasco Travesedo, energy policy adviser and executive director at Abu Dhabi […] October 30, 2023
Renewable Energy Scotland looks to Emirates to help fund energy transition Scotland plans to “scale-up” its relationship with the UAE to help fund its transition to net zero, according to Neil Gray, the country’s cabinet secretary for energy. The Scottish minister has been on a visit to the Middle East, strengthening relations between the two countries ahead of Cop28 next month. State-owned Abu Dhabi Future Energy […] October 27, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Energy Give private sector green incentives, says Sharjah oil CEO While the state-owned Sharjah National Oil Corporation plans to use its depleted fossil fuel resources to store carbon, its CEO believes that private companies are unlikely to follow Snoc’s green ambitions voluntarily, unless they are given incentives to act. The innovation could help to halve the UAE’s carbon emissions, but the company is owned by […] October 27, 2023
Energy Middle East crisis may hasten shift to clean energy says IEA The Israel-Gaza geopolitical crisis poses a new risk to oil markets and may accelerate the shift towards clean energy, according to analysts at the International Energy Agency. “With the immediate geopolitical risks, it will be difficult to say that oil and gas represent safe and secure choices for consumers, for countries worldwide,” said Fatih Birol, […] October 25, 2023
Video length: 01:45 VIDEO Sustainability AGBI: Your gateway to Cop28 This year’s Cop28 in Dubai marks another giant leap forward for the UAE and the wider Gulf region. As the voice of Middle East business, AGBI is the go-to platform for exclusive news, insight and opinion on the Cop28 United Nations climate change conference and the transition to net zero. October 24, 2023
Video length: 03:41 Sustainability Your guide to Cop28: news, views and analysis from AGBI At the end of November, the world’s biggest climate change conference – the United Nations’ annual Conference of the Parties, better known as Cop28 – will begin in the UAE. More than 80,000 delegates, 5,000 journalists and 140 heads of state are expected to attend the 14-day summit at Dubai’s Expo site. The host nation, […] October 24, 2023
Tech Trash to treasure: how the Gulf is tackling e-waste Looking to buy a new smartphone? What are you going to do with your old one? Consumer appetites for the latest phones, tablets and wearables are making electronics the fastest-growing category of waste in the world. The amount of electronic waste in landfills worldwide is forecast to reach 74 million tonnes a year by 2030, […] October 24, 2023
Giga-projects Warning over climate impact of Saudi giga-projects Saudi Arabia’s vast giga-projects could have a damaging impact on the environment if they are not managed properly, a report from a Saudi university has found. “While diversifying the economy, giga-projects will increase the number of people living or visiting coastal areas, placing an additional burden via waste generation and disposal, water desalination and energy […] October 23, 2023
Opinion Economy Davos without the fondue – the WEF Global Future Councils The GFC is an insightful introduction to the World Economic Forum – and a nerd’s paradise October 20, 2023
