Dr Nawal Al-Hosany is permanent representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency
March 26, 2024
The science is irrefutable: the security of our climate is in the balance.
New data has confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year on record, and by a considerable margin. The early data we are seeing is a chastening reminder that we must seriously and urgently implement the outcomes from Cop28, because it’s not just the soaring surface temperatures of our planet that are a great and growing cause for concern.
A new report from the World Meteorological Organisation shows that we are breaking – and even smashing, in some instances – climate records across the board. Greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rises, Antarctic Sea ice cover and glacier retreat all reached worrying new levels.
Last year, the global average near-surface temperature soared to 1.45°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average level, making it the warmest year in the 174-year observational period. This shatters the record of the previous warmest years, which include 2016 at 1.29°C and 2020 at 1.27°C above the pre-industrial baseline.
At the same time, at the end of last winter, the Antarctic Sea ice extent fell by 1 million square kilometres below the previous record low – which is an area about the size as France and Germany combined.
Meanwhile, due to the rapidly warming currents that circle the Atlantic and move water from the Gulf of Mexico up to Greenland and back again, climate scientists have warned that the Atlantic Ocean is reaching a dangerous tipping point. Once breached, this would be followed by extreme and potentially irreversible climate change within decades.
There is a major socioeconomic cost to our climate insecurity. The increased frequency and intensity of the heatwaves, floods, cyclones, droughts and wildfires that ripped through our planet last year uprooted millions of lives and livelihoods, and cost billions of dollars in economic losses. The US alone incurs $150 billion in losses every year due to at least one extreme weather event every three weeks, according to a National Climate Assessment report released towards the end of last year.
From Ink to Action - Using Comic Art to Save the Planet runs until December 22 at Warehouse 58 in Alserkal Avenue. All photos: British Council – Mena
The exhibition is a collaborative project between the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF) and the British Council – Mena
The exhibition commissioned 12 artists from across the Arab region to explore environmental issues affecting their communities
The artists come from Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia
The comics explore stories about environmental issues, water scarcity and misuse, chemical pollution, warfare and displacement
The modules on which the comics are presented are made from recycled plastic obtained from the cosmetic industry
The comics themselves are printed on recycled flex sheets
To decarbonise at the pace we need to, innovation must accelerate at an unprecedented rate
Trying to ignite sustainable growth and development in these conditions is like trying to start a fire in a monsoon. It is time to stop working against the elements, and start working with them. The renewable energy transition, which looks to capture, harness and work with the natural world around us, shows us how we can not only limit – and even reduce – future temperature rises, but also forge a path of economic opportunity by enabling faster and more sustainable growth, creating more jobs, and improving social welfare.
In fact, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency’s research, by 2050, the energy transition could provide a 2.5 per cent improvement in global gross domestic product, at the same time as a 0.2 per cent increase in global employment, compared to business as usual.
To address this unfolding climate catastrophe, there are three things we must focus our energies on. First, we must accelerate the energy transition towards a system that runs on clean and renewable energy solutions.
As Irena’s World Energy Transitions Outlook brief explains, with more than 130 countries committed to radically transforming the energy landscape by adopting Irena’s 1.5°C Scenario recommendation to triple installed renewable power capacity to at least 11 terawatts by 2030, there is a newfound urgency for policymakers, who must now implement the strategies and measures required to facilitate a rapid escalation in renewable energy deployment.
The world added 50 per cent more renewable energy capacity in 2023 compared to the previous year. There is clear momentum here. But we must continue to invest, upwards of $5 trillion a year, into energy transition technologies if we are to meet the demands of a net-zero future.
Second, we must urgently implement the mitigation and adaptation strategies that will help achieve net-zero ambitions. The 1.45°C (with a margin of uncertainty of +/- 0.12°C) temperature we reached last year should sound the red alarm on the possibility of keeping 1.5°C within reach. Right now, we are headed for a catastrophic breach of not only this target, but the “well below 2°C” limit in temperature rises called for in the Paris Agreement. We must see a greater urgency and a serious levelling-up of countries’ nationally determined contributions.
Wind turbines at an onshore windfarm near Brandenburg an der Havel in Germany. Bloomberg
Sticking to Irena’s 1.5°C pathway requires annual emissions reductions of at least 7 per cent between now and the end of the decade. For context, this target is higher the emissions reduction we saw during the pandemic when factories shuttered. And that’s against the current grain of a 1.5 per cent annual increase in emissions – the result of a world playing catch-up on lost productivity time.
On this current trajectory, the required pathway for decarbonisation is only getting steeper. And right now, just 35 per cent of global emissions are covered by national net-zero commitments by 2050. Moreover, fewer than 20 per cent of the world’s top 1,000 private sector companies have set 1.5°C science-based targets.
And third, in direct correlation with net-zero ambitions, we must rapidly decarbonise hard-to-abate industrial sectors and scale up the deployment of proven, mature technologies including solar photovoltaic, wind and electric vehicles.
But, to decarbonise at the pace we need to, innovation must accelerate at an unprecedented rate. The now-mature and scaled-up clean energy technologies such as solar panels took more than three decades from inception to the advanced stage they’re at today. For new technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage, we need to slash the time to mass market.
To ensure that we meet the requirements of these three criteria that underpin the energy transition, we must upgrade, expand and modernise our infrastructure. We need to establish regulatory frameworks and markets suited to the era of renewables. We must mobilise the finance to make it all possible. And our efforts must be driven by an inclusive, solutions-oriented approach to multilateralism and international co-operation that not only promises to leave no one behind, but also guarantees it.
Only this will ensure that the energy we need to make the world tick does not come at the expense of our long-term future on this planet.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammed Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Amir Yamin, Mohammed Amir (subject to fitness clearance), Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
Manchester City 4 (Gundogan 8' (P), Bernardo Silva 19', Jesus 72', 75')
Fulham 0
Red cards: Tim Ream (Fulham)
Man of the Match: Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
