Morocco volunteers on Sahara clean-up mission as part Nomads Festival
M'HAMID EL GHIZLANE, Morocco - It may be the gateway to the vast Sahara desert, but that does not mean...
Economy
Saudi Arabia hosts UN talks on drought, desertification
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia will host the COP16 UN conference on land degradation and desertification next week as the...
COP28 faces challenge of phasing out fossil fuels amid policy discrepancies
With nations' actions falling far short of the Paris Agreement's most ambitious target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees...
- For Guterres, who has made fighting climate change a major priority as secretary-general, a simple promise to reduce fossil fuels would not be enough
- A phase-down "can be whatever, you never know exactly what it means -- to phase out means that at a certain moment, it stops," said UN Secretary General
Business
UAE to pump CO2 into rock as carbon capture debate rages
Fujairah, UAE - High in remote mountains in the oil-rich Emirates, a new plant will soon take atmospheric CO2 and pump...
- The first CO2 injection is expected during COP28, and where the debate over hydrocarbons will be a key battle between campaigners and the oil lobby.
- Oil producers are throwing their weight behind carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology as a global warming solution despite criticism from climate experts.
Business
FAB becomes first MENA bank to publish TCFD climate report
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) became the first MENA bank to publish a Task Force for...
- The TCFD standard, promoted by the Financial Stability Board since 2015, urges entities to specify the resilience of their strategies to climate-related risks.
- The report delivers on FAB’s 2019 commitment to agree to adopt TCFD recommendations into its reporting and disclosure processes.
Geostrategy
Climate crises drove 27 million children into hunger in 2022, says charity
Out of the 12, countries in the Horn of Africa were most affected, with Ethiopia and Somalia accounting for about...
- The figure represented a sharp 135 percent increase over 2021, the UK-based charity said in an analysis ahead of the COP28 climate summit opening in Dubai
- It said children made up nearly half the 57 million people pushed into crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse across 12 countries because of extreme weather in 2022
Climate change already reducing global GDP: report
Low- and middle-income countries have experienced a combined loss in capital and GDP totaling $21 trillion, about half of the...
- The report estimated that impacts from human-caused climate change cut 6.3 percent from global economic output last year, when weighted across populations
- "The world is trillions of dollars poorer because of climate change and most of that burden has fallen on poor countries," said lead author James Rising
Geostrategy
COP28 host UAE braces for rising heat risk, targets carbon neutrality
As global temperatures tick higher, with this year on course to be the hottest on record, the UAE is changing...
- The UAE's scorching summers, when many flee for cooler climes and the streets empty, look set to worsen due to climate change, various studies show
- The region's extreme heat and high humidity are a dangerous mix as in such conditions the human body struggles to cool itself by evaporating sweat on the skin
Geostrategy
Every industry should be held accountable on climate, says COP28 president
Paris, France - The president of a pivotal UN climate summit defended on Saturday the large presence of industry representatives at...
- "Everyone needs to be part of this process and everyone needs to be held responsible and everyone needs to be held accountable," COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber said
- "That includes all industries and in particular heavy emitting industries like aviation, transportation, aluminum, cement, steel, as well as the oil and gas industry," he added
Economy
ADB plans to invest US$100bn to maximize climate impact
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Setting the scene for a low-carbon and climate-resilient Asia and the Pacific, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)...
- By 2030, more than 55 percent of the population of Asia and the Pacific will live in urban areas, driving up demand for urban-related services.
- If urban areas continue along the same growth trajectory, Asian cities could contribute over half of the rise in global GHG emissions in the next 20 years.
Economy
Rising temperatures worry MENA region
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region faces severe climate change challenges, including water scarcity and extreme temperatures, with...
- With diverse strategies from GCC to non-GCC nations, the battle against climate change underscores a delicate balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability.
- In the MENA region, resource-rich GCC countries are better equipped to tackle climate change challenges that threaten food security, water resources, and biodiversity.
Business
UAE company secures African land the size of the UK for carbon offset projects: report
Dubai, UAE - Blue Carbon, a Dubai-based company has secured expansive forested land across several African nations, a CNN report...
- The area is earmarked for conservation projects aimed at safeguarding forests and preventing significant amounts of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere
- Forest conservation agreements involving Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Liberia, and Tanzania were announced in the months leading up to the COP28 climate summit
Morocco volunteers on Sahara clean-up mission as part Nomads Festival
M'HAMID EL GHIZLANE, Morocco - It may be the gateway to the vast Sahara desert, but that does not mean...
Economy
Company News
Latest News
IsDB, SWCC sign agreement
Business
EU seeks 90 percent drop in greenhouse emission by 2040
Strasbourg, France - The EU on Tuesday urged a 90-percent cut to its greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, even as the...
Geostrategy
Paris Olympics’ organizers worry heatwave can spell trouble for games
A new study presenting "climate simulations to anticipate worst-case heatwaves during the Paris 2024 Olympics" has focused minds after it...
Embracing renewables secures UAE’s green future
"COP28 saw all parties reach an agreement on the historic ‘UAE Consensus.’ This consensus includes achieving a well-organized, responsible, fair,...
Economy
Most Read
Economy
Saudi Arabia to highlight role in dealing with global challenges at WEF meet
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef said that the Kingdom’s participation in the...
- Saudi Arabia’s participation in the annual meet underscores its pivotal role in the transition toward carbon neutrality.
- The Kingdom’s engagement provides an opportunity for communication with key players in the private sector globally.
Geostrategy
2023 hottest recorded year as Earth nears critical threshold
PARIS, FRANCE - The year of 2023 was the hottest on record, with the increase in Earth's surface temperature nearly crossing...
- Climate change intensified heatwaves, droughts and wildfires and pushed the global thermometer 1.48 C in 2023 above the preindustrial benchmark.
- Nearly half of 2023 exceeded the 1.5C limit, beyond which climate impacts are more likely to become self-reinforcing and catastrophic, said scientists.
Business
Energy companies to test CO2 capture in Brazil undersea oil field
PARIS, FRANCE - A consortium of Brazilian, British, French and Chinese energy firms will test new technology aimed at capturing CO2...
- The pilot unit will separate oil from CO2-rich natural gas at the bottom of the ocean and reinject the gas directly into the reservoir, TotalEnergies said.
- The company said the high pressure subsea separation (HISEP) technology has the potential to reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions.