NEW YORK // The head of a UAE state-owned environmental company has been selected to join a panel of experts to advise the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, on negotiating a new global climate-change treaty.
Sultan al Jaber, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, will assist the UN secretary general in advance of this year's summit in Copenhagen to finalise a successor agreement to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on targets for greenhouse gas emissions.
"I am honoured to join Ban Ki-moon in the global dialogue regarding energy transformations and climate change mitigation and look forward to participating in the secretary general's Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change," Mr al Jaber said.
"My nomination is recognition of Abu Dhabi's continued leadership in and commitment to future energy solutions."
As the driving force behind the Masdar Initiative - the capital's multi-billion-dirham alternative energy project - Mr al Jaber is recognised as a key player in government strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change.
He joins luminaries such as Ratan Tata, chairman of India's Tata Group; Shi Zhengrong, founder, chief executive and chairman of Suntech Power Holdings, China's massive solar energy firm; and the former Costa Rican president José Figueres.
The panel's chairman, Kandeh Yumkella, director general of the UN Industrial Development Organisation, said it was important to have an expert from the oil-rich Gulf among his advisory group.
"Mr al Jaber's country, and some other hydrocarbon-rich countries, are investing heavily in renewable energies," Mr Yumkella said.
"We believe it sends a powerful message that while you may be a major oil producer, if we want to save the planet you can still invest in renewables. They are not mutually exclusive."
Following the panel's first meeting at UN headquarters in Manhattan on Wednesday, members will assemble in August and September to discuss ways of making energy production cleaner and more efficient, particularly in developing countries.
The group's strategy will contribute to a treaty on carbon emission targets that is being negotiated for world leaders to sign in Copenhagen in December.
Another of the panelists, Lars Josefsson, chief executive of the Swedish power utility Vattenfall, said the group would strive to "increase the likelihood of a deal in Copenhagen and also then afterwards the execution of the deal".
Rich and poor nations remain in a deadlock on how to cut emissions. Nearly 200 nations will try to hammer out a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, the first phase of which is due to expire at the end of 2012.
Poor countries want the rich to commit to deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions because they have historically emitted most of the planet-warming gases. China and many other developing countries want the rich to cut by at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020. Offers made by rich countries so far work out to cuts of between 8 and 14 per cent below 1990. Delegates from 183 countries concluded two weeks of negotiations in Bonn this month after drafting elements of the new treaty.
As the protagonist behind the UAE's carbon-neutral and waste-free development, Masdar City, Mr al Jaber is orchestrating efforts to win support for Abu Dhabi's bid to host a global green energy agency.
Later this month, members of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) will vote on whether Abu Dhabi, Bonn, Vienna or Copenhagen will host the headquarters of the new multinational body.
Masdar City, the world's first large-scale carbon-neutral development project, which is being built close to Abu Dhabi International Airport, will house the Irena offices if Abu Dhabi's bid is successful.
Earlier this week Dr Hermann Scheer, a member of the German parliament and a key figure in Irena's establishment, said the UAE and Germany were emerging as the strongest candidates to host the agency.
The organisation's 98 member states will make a decision at the two-day summit, which starts on June 29 in Sharm el Sheikh.
jreinl@thenational.ae
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Price: From Dh117,059
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. Sri Lanka's T20I squad
Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva.
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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