Global energy companies operating in the UAE are optimistic that a consensus can be reached around the Cop28 pledge of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.
The US, EU and UAE are rallying other governments to join a global deal on renewables at the UN climate summit in Dubai this month.
Renewable power capacity must reach more than 11,000 gigawatts this decade to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting the rise of global temperatures to below 2°C, the International Renewable Energy Agency, Cop28 presidency and Global Renewables Alliance said in a report last month.
Bruno Bensasson, chairman and chief executive of France’s EDF Renewables, hopes that there’s a deal, but said that more needed to be done to cut carbon emissions.
“The full picture should also include nuclear energy, carbon capture [and] low-carbon hydrogen,” Mr Bensasson told The National.
“The most difficult part is not so much to produce more low carbon energy, it's to bring it to the customer.”
The use of low-carbon energy in heavy industries such as transportation and construction would require more technological innovations, Mr Bensasson said.
EDF Renewables, a stakeholder in major renewable energy projects in the Emirates, develops power generation plants globally. At the end of last year, the company operated a net installed wind and solar capacity of 11.4 gigawatts worldwide.
“I am optimistic that the tripling and doubling initiative will be supported by the vast majority [of countries] for sure,” Mr Bensasson said.
Peak fossil fuel demand is now in sight by the end of the decade, supported by clean energy policies and the rising adoption of electric cars, according to the International Energy Agency.
Charles Bai, head of international business at China’s Jinko Power, said the target set by the Cop28 Presidency was “realistic” in the context of the growth witnessed by the industry in the past few years.
“The doubling or tripling is not a slogan. It is not something that you cannot hit because the bar is set too high.”
Shanghai-based Jinko Power is a stakeholder in projects such as the Sweihan solar project and Al Dhafra solar plant, both in Abu Dhabi.
Last week, the company signed an agreement with the Saudi Power Procurement Company for the development of the 400-megawatt Tabarjal solar project in the kingdom, boosting its solar portfolio in the country to 700 megawatts.
“The Emirates has the growth potential, but also more importantly, it has a very structured programme offered to international investors, with clearly defined parameters,” Mr Bai said.
Abu Dhabi renewable energy company Masdar, established in 2006, is one of the main drivers of the UAE’s energy transition ambitions.
The company is working towards a renewable energy portfolio capacity of at least 100 gigawatts by 2030 and an annual green hydrogen production capacity of up to one million tonnes by the same year. It is currently active in more than 40 countries.
“It's time to include every player – public sector, private sector, NGOs, governments and so on – into making significant actions to meet the pledges and commitments, which have been made,” said Abdulaziz Alobaidli, Masdar’s chief operating officer.
The UAE will be an important bridge between the developing and developed world, said Majid Jafar, chief executive of Crescent Petroleum, during an event in London on Monday.
“Climate policies must be revised to reflect the needs and views of the developing nations as well as those of the West,” he added.
“That is why we can all look forward to real and lasting action at Cop28 in Dubai this year.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
