DUBAI: Efforts by governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to accelerate climate action were praised at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Since its opening in 2008, ADSW has been bringing together members of the global community to accelerate sustainable development.
In keeping with this practice, this year’s events provided a platform for heads of state, policy makers, business leaders and technology pioneers to share knowledge, showcase innovation and outline strategies for delivering climate action.
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, in particular, were cited by ADSW participants as examples to the rest of the world on the strength of their pioneering “green energy” initiatives, amid growing concerns over the effects of global warming.
US President Joe Biden’s special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry detailed the significant progress made by countries throughout the MENA region.
The UAE is preparing to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in 2023, making it only the third Arab country to receive the honour. Egypt will be the host of COP27 to be held later this year, just 10 years after Qatar became the first Arab country to welcome COP delegates.
Held once a year, the conference brings together representatives of governments that have signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to discuss how to jointly address climate change.
The Paris Agreement, signed by nearly all of the world’s countries at COP21 in 2015, aims to, among other things, keep the increase in global average temperatures “well below” 2 °C above pre-industrial levels, but ideally this is to be maintained. up to 1.5 degrees.
“The field is moving forward and this is an extremely important message to the rest of the world, that (those) who are the producers of our current source of power, energy and heat, believe there will be a transition,” Kerry said.
“Clearly, we are moving towards clean, renewable energy and sustainable structures, and the Middle East, along with the Horn of Africa, is going to play a big role in this during the next two years.”
Indeed, MENA oil and gas producers are being seen as part of the solution, with the region claiming some of the lowest methane emissions in their production.
While carbon dioxide is widely recognized as the main culprit of global warming, methane ranks second on the list of the worst greenhouse gas contributors to climate change.
Total indirect greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas operations today are approximately 5,200 million tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent. Methane is the largest single component of these indirect emissions.
Unlike carbon dioxide, which remains in the atmosphere for thousands of years, methane is depleted in about 10 to 15 years. But when it is in the atmosphere, the harmful effects of methane are 85 times worse than that of CO2 (over a 20-year period).
“It’s a serious problem when we look at the fact that over the next 10 years. The biggest challenge we face is to try to reduce our emissions by at least 45 percent,” Kerry said. To achieve that, methane has to be part of the solution and for whatever reason, it has been a stepchild of the process and no one has really focused on it.”
This year, Biden and the European Union announced an initiative to get 109 countries to sign the Methane Pledge and work together to “plug the leaks.”
The collective hope is that global methane emissions will be reduced by 30 percent by 2030 – the equivalent of every automobile, truck, plane and ship going zero emissions at that time. “This is a huge achievement for all of us,” Kerry said. “It saves about 0.2 degrees over the rise in temperature during those 10 years and that would be a remarkable advantage right now.”
The path to sustainable economies and societies must address the existential threat posed by climate change, predicts the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, concurrent and multiple changes in climate impact drivers in every region of the world. such as more frequent rainfall, drought and forest fires.
“These pale in comparison to the predicted turmoil in the coming decades,” Singapore President Halimah Yacoub told ADSW attendees.
“However, tackling climate change is an enormously complex challenge and must go far beyond annual conventions. It requires a global response through ambitious plans, concerted action and resolute commitment from all countries, big and small – that is the only way. So we can close the emissions gap and reach our collective goal of a net-zero planet.
Today, renewable and clean sources of energy supply only 20 percent of global energy, with current estimates that renewable energy sources will make up only 40 percent of total global production by 2040.
This means the world will still need to use fossil fuels for decades to come, according to Abu Dhabi Department of Energy Chairman, Alawila Murshed Ali Al-Marar.
“Like any serious illness, a treatment plan will not be effective and long-lasting unless it includes the necessary lifestyle adjustments,” Al-Marar said in his remarks to ADSW. “It is important that we forge new regional and international partnerships.”
Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, King of Bahrain’s Representative for Humanitarian Affairs and Youth Affairs and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, said that the deadline for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is just eight years away, youth have a There should be a seat. Climate table to ensure a green future.
Al-Khalifa told ADSW that the world’s 1.8 billion young citizens will be most affected by the climate crisis, and are considered the most committed to change, armed with innovative ideas to drive positive change for tomorrow.
“The youth are passionate, energetic, curious, committed, connected, knowledgeable and technically equipped,” said Al-Khalifa.
“Without support, they cannot take advantage of these unique features to be real game changers in creating a net-zero future. We must trust youth in the power to lead meaningful change.”
Al-Khalifa said that Bahrain has taken several initiatives to involve its youth in this process in line with its Economic Vision 2030.
He expressed great hope in young people describing them as malleable, resilient and tech-savvy. He said that they are early adopters, innovators and trendsetters. “All of this prepares and prepares them for innovation, disruption and catalysts for new ideas and creative solutions,” Sheikh said.
“We see this positive ethos and youth culture spread across various sectors and regions. As we prepare our path to a greener future, youth will continue to be a driving force for socio-economic and cultural change in our communities. ,
Despite the huge commitment he made at last year’s COP26 in Glasgow, Carey said the challenge today is to work with the remaining 35 percent and get them on board as quickly as possible to meet that goal.
“We know that warming is occurring at accelerated rates, particularly in the Arctic, where ice is melting far more rapidly and many times faster than anywhere else on the planet,” he said.
“And as the ice melts, it opens up deeper salt ocean water, which has more heat and that accelerates warming. So, you have a negative feedback loop.”
With mudslides, storms and flooding intensifying around the world, Kerry explained that when countries gather to assess their progress next year, thanks to the benefit of visibility via satellites, every country will need to report. will be held accountable without necessity.
“People are going to be able to measure what’s going on with deforestation and the carbon footprint of big corporations and countries,” he said. “We have made a huge leap forward, but no one is moving so fast. We are far behind in our efforts to retire coal power plants and stop methane leaks and deploy renewable energy.”
In this race against time, however, the private sector will play an important role as Kerry believes no government can afford to accelerate such a transition on its own. Global efforts have identified more than $100 trillion ready to invest in new technologies related to battery storage, carbon capture, use and storage, smart grids and clean energy from hydrogen.
“The reality is that effecting this transition will require a very significant investment,” Carey said. “Energy creates revenue, so we have to be creative about how we deploy that money.
“It’s better to invest in a bigger solar sector or a new energy product that will generate revenue than to leave your money sitting in the bank with net negative interests.”
Among the ADSW participants was British Minister and COP26 President Alok Sharma, who arrived in the United Arab Emirates from Egypt, where he met with several government ministers, including Egypt’s COP president-designate Foreign Minister Sameh Shouki.
Together they issued a UK-Egyptian statement that reaffirmed their joint commitment to accelerate the fight against climate change during this decade.
Sharma’s first visit since COP26 will culminate in a meeting in Abu Dhabi between Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the UK, the first of a series of ties between the countries led by COP27 and COP28.
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