Last year was supposed to have been a game-changer for climate action, with the US re-entering the Paris Agreement and the pandemic recovery funds of many countries aimed at “green stimulus”.
Much was accomplished, from the adoption of international carbon market accounting standards to a dramatic increase in net-zero commitments from countries and companies. Current climate pledges now put the world on track for 1.8°C of warming, a huge improvement over the projected 4 degrees of warming before the Paris Agreement was signed.
But it still was not the year many had hoped for, setting the scene for a tumultuous 2022.
As energy demand recovered from pandemic-induced 2020 lows, carbon emissions came roaring back and energy prices skyrocketed, becoming a major driver of inflation and highlighting the need to meet continued hydrocarbon demand while also dramatically reducing emissions. Natural gas prices in Europe hit record highs in December; Brent crude was above $90 at the time of publication; and coal demand, which was thought to have peaked globally in 2014, rose dramatically, signalling a possible record-breaking year in 2022. November’s Cop26 convening in Glasgow did not “resign coal to history” as the UK’s Cop26 president Alok Sharma had declared it would.
In 2022, geopolitics will also be increasingly volatile, with Russia amassing troops on Ukraine’s border, Iran ramping up uranium enrichment and tensions growing over Taiwan. The energy implications of these flash points are potentially dramatic.
For the second year in a row, the Atlantic Council Global Energy Centre surveyed a group of senior global energy leaders to better understand the key energy issues for 2022. This year’s respondents were far more ambivalent about the future, perhaps even pessimistic, than they were entering 2021. Last year, we concluded that “2021 could be an inflection point in the fight against climate change.” Three issues from this year’s survey show how much has changed:
While 36 per cent of 2021 respondents called the achievement of global net zero emissions by 2050 either somewhat or very likely, that figure dropped to 27 per cent in 2022.
Last year, 39 per cent of respondents thought that Covid-19 was the biggest geopolitical risk to energy supply and production, with cyber-attacks and intra-state conflict totalling 28 per cent. This year, cyber-attacks and inter-state conflict totalled 43 per cent, with Covid-19 only 11 per cent.
When asked to rank the outcome of Cop26 on a scale from “more blah, blah, blah” to “creating a foundation for achieving global net-zero by 2050,” 51 per cent of respondents chose the former and only 11 per cent the latter.
Policymakers and energy leaders must not lose track of the urgent need for climate action amidst the current uncertainty
The silver lining in this data is that our respondents seem to think that the world can manage Covid-19, even as cases soar. But with their assessment of Cop26, skepticism about net zero, and serious geopolitical concerns, the results were a far cry from the optimism that kicked off 2021.
But the actual picture is not as clear as the dour mood might suggest. 2021 was a record year for deployment of renewable capacity, as well as for investment in clean-tech startups. While countries did not agree on a coal “phase out” at Cop26, they did agree on a “phase down,” the first time that fossil fuels were specifically mentioned in a Cop communique. And, crucially, Cop26 kept the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees within the realm of possibility.
Perhaps a better interpretation of 2021, then, was that it was a sobering year, but also one that should hold out some hope. The work needed to reach climate goals while managing short-term energy needs is immense, but the current direction of travel is correct.
If there is a singular “energy agenda” for 2022, then, it is that policymakers and energy leaders must not lose track of the urgent need for climate action amidst the current uncertainty, but also must remain nimble and responsive to potential disruptions.
These are the key issues the Atlantic Council Global Energy Centre will explore these with leaders from around the world when it returns to the UAE for the Global Energy Forum this March 28-29. We hope to see you there.
This essay was adapted from the Atlantic Council Global Energy Centre Publication, “The 2022 Global Energy Agenda". The Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Forum will be held on March 28-29, alongside the World Government Summit at Expo 2020
Key developments in maritime dispute
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
How Beautiful this world is!
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The Predator'
Dir: Shane Black
Starring: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Keegan-Michael Key
Two and a half stars
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
The years Ramadan fell in May
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars
- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes
- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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