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The UAE has three of the largest and lowest-cost solar projects in the world
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The country is taking the lead in sustainable agricultural practices, the minister Dr Al Jaber said
The UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy for Climate Change Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said on Friday that his country is well-positioned to provide low-cost, low carbon energy as global demand returns and is expected to increase in line with economic growth.
Speaking during a virtual session of the Columbia Global Energy Summit, Dr. Al Jaber said that the UAE is focusing on low carbon production.
“The UAE’s primary crude grade, Murban, is one of the least carbon-intensive in the world, with less than half the carbon intensity of the industry average. This creates a dual advantage for us – low cost and low carbon”, said Dr. Al Jaber. “So, in a world that needs more energy with fewer emissions, the UAE is stepping up to expand our low carbon crude capacity,”
In a conversation with David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA, he explained that oil and gas will continue to play a major role alongside a diversifying energy mix and that expanding the country’s energy options is not only the responsible way forward, but can provide new economic opportunities.
“Today, thanks to the long-term commitment of our leadership, the UAE has three of the largest and lowest-cost solar projects in the world with significant renewable energy projects in thirty countries globally,” Dr. Al Jaber said.
“We need to leverage every clean energy source available, including wind, solar and other renewable energies. This comprehensive approach means also using nuclear energy,” Dr. Al Jaber added.
Dr. Al Jaber went on to describe how the UAE is a partner of choice across the entire traditional and alternative energy landscape, including hydrogen, which shows great promise as a zero-carbon fuel that could be produced at scale as part of the existing hydrocarbon value chain. He added that the UAE is well-positioned to leverage its existing gas infrastructure to develop blue and green hydrogen.
“We are working with existing and new partners around the world to identify markets, map out value
chains and develop a roadmap to create a hydrogen ecosystem to serve both the UAE and the global marketplace,” Dr. Al Jaber said.
Dr. Al Jaber touched on the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4Climate) announced by the UAE and the United States with the support of seven other countries last month and shared insights on why the UAE is taking the lead in increasing research and development (R&D) investment and accelerating innovation into sustainable agricultural practices.
“The UAE has always taken a holistic view when it comes to climate solutions and agriculture is sometimes overlooked as a significant source of emissions,” Dr. Al Jaber. “As a country in an arid part of the world, we are already leveraging new technologies and innovative approaches to enable sustainable farming in desert conditions”.
Dr. Al Jaber outlined his expectations for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) taking place in Glasgow in November. He expressed cautious optimism and said he believes the world understands that progressive climate action is an opportunity for economic growth, particularly coming off the back of post-Covid recovery.
“What I find encouraging is that it is not only governments that get this, but the broader business community, across every industrial sector is also on board,” Dr. Al Jaber. “Ultimately, I think the willingness is there to take a great leap forward at Glasgow, and the UAE is more than willing to play its role as a regional leader and global convener in progressive climate action”.
Organized by the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, the Global Energy Summit is gathering experts from around the world to focus on understanding trends shaping our current energy system. Speakers at the event include Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency and Bernard Looney, CEO, BP.