Green financing takes centre stage at World Future Energy Summit
Panel sessions around green financing commenced on the last day of the World Future Energy Summit. Razvan Dumitrescu, Head of Sustainable Finance at Emirates NBD Capital, spoke about key regional developments in sustainable finance, including regulatory changes and the rise of green loans. Rawan Oueidat CFA, Director, Corporate Ratings, S&P Global Ratings, discussed how ESG factors are incorporated into their credit rating analysis
Grave importance was also given to themes such as sovereign wealth funds, Islamic finance, and mobilising capital in the Global South at the Green Finance conference.
Sustainable cities
Should cities be self-sufficient?
The opening panel session at the Sustainable Cities Conference addressed the question of whether cities can and should become truly self-sufficient, managing their needs for energy, food, water and other resources. Abdullatif Albitawi, CEO, Emirates Green Building Council, said, “To do this, we need to first of all manage our demand for these resources, and then reduce consumption and improve efficiencies. Then we go to the step where we produce the resources, and this is where we apply energy management, water management and so on.”
Driving behavioural change, addressing the mobility issue, technological advancements, creating a business case and the importance of sharing best practices were stressed during the session.
(L-R): Vikram Raju, Managing Director and Head of Climate Investments, Morgan Stanley Investment Management; Athmane Benzerroq, Chief Strategy Transformation Sustainability Officer, ADNOC Distribution; Karim Arslan, Executive Director, Green & Sustainable Finance Originator, Green & Sustainable Hub, Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking; Razvan Dumitrescu, Head of Sustainable Finance, Emirates NBD Capital.
All eyes on hydrogen
Ivana Jemelkova, CEO of the Hydrogen Council, used her platform on the Green Hydrogen Summit to express that while “hydrogen is happening”, it is imperative that the community remains focused in order to fully realise the potential of the resource as a key contributor to the global energy transition. She added that collaboration is essential to ensuring the hydrogen “success story” is continued.
Elsewhere, on the Innovation Stage, creative technology providers took the opportunity to present their creative solutions that could help to facilitate the hydrogen economy and, ultimately, achieve global decarbonisation.
Learn more on Page 3.
Entrepreneurship
Spotlighting AI innovators
New this year at the World Future Energy Summit is CLIXai, part of the CLIX programme and showcase, which is spotlighting AI innovations from 10 trailblazing female-founded, owned and operated startups: Fairatmos, GoCodeGreen, GreenEnco Ltd, LivNSense GreenOps Private Limited, NiCAT, Olive Gaea, Seabex SAS, umgrauemeio, Ziptrax Cleantech, and Kamma Climate. The feature exemplifies the synergy between AI and climate action, strengthening collaboration and dialogue to address critical global issues.
At the CLIXai sessions, the female innovators were given the opportunity to pitch their companies to potential investors. They attracted a lot of interest given that AI is a hot topic.
Hydrogen
CLIX Knowledge Partner Supported by
“We service our clients to help them meet their sustainability targets through solar, through energy efficiency and our on-demand batteries.”
Stanislav Betin, General Manager of
HYPR Energy, a Positive Zero company
Driving the hydrogen revolution
The third day of the World Future Energy Summit put a spotlight on the future hydrogen economy as creative technology providers took to the Innovation Stage to present an overview of their groundbreaking solutions in this field.
Across the day, eight hydrogen innovators representing the entire value chain (from generation to end-use) were invited to showcase their technologies that could play a key role in helping the hydrogen economy reach its potential and, ultimately, achieve global decarbonisation.
Among the chosen line-up were a number of companies who have set their sights on a relatively undervalued part of the hydrogen value chain. As Magnus Bach, vice president, business development at H2MOF, remarked in his presentation, “Until a couple of years ago, storage and transportation were not discussed. We were talking financing, standardisation, electrolysers, but storage was not part of the equation.” This, however, is changing narrative with more projects being explored in earnest and the cost challenge of this aspect are being considered.
It is here that H2MOF has set its store and is engineering novel materials that attracts hydrogen molecules towards the nano-scale cavities of the material. While the bonding is strong enough to retain the hydrogen molecules inside the novel material, it is weak enough to allow for their efficient release when required, without significant energy consumption. According to Bach, this process presents a far more attractive option than the
Ivana Jemelkova said that collaboration is key to ensuring the hydrogen success story continues.
EXHIBITORS: Companies in attendance
existing technologies within storage and transportation, offering, for example, the potential to lower hydrogen delivery cost by more than 50% compared to conventional 200-500 bar storage systems.
H2MOF is joined in addressing the storage and transportation challenge by Hydrogenious LOHC, a company aiming to fill the missing link in hydrogen value chains through its proprietary liquid organic hydrogen carrier technology. The company’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr. -Ing Stefan Bürkle, provided an overview of the LOHC cycle that includes hydrogenation through a catalytic reaction to bind
H2 to LOHC in a continuous process. The hydrogen can then be transported with easy and cost-efficient logistics using existing infrastructure for fossil fuels (such as ship, barge, train or truck) and then released in a dehydrogenation process via a catalytic reaction.
The company is now on “the edge” of commercialising its technology (with a number of prominent reference projects being explored) and is moving closer to fulfilling its purpose of facilitating “large scale export and import of hydrogen” that will be crucial to decarbonising the economy.
Keeping the focus on hydrogen
The Green Hydrogen Summit of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week kicked-off in earnest with keynote speaker Carlos Gasco, Energy Policy Executive Director of the Department of Energy Abu Dhabi, outlining the promising landscape for low carbon hydrogen development that Abu Dhabi has fostered in recent years. Through actions such as the adoption of the Low Carbon Hydrogen Policy, the Emirate has “almost fully-finished” creating a landscape that will allow partners and investors to come in. In this regard, he concluded by stating Abu Dhabi is “open for business when it comes to low carbon hydrogen.”
Following this, Ivana Jemelkova, CEO of the Hydrogen Council, delivered a message of hope, describing the significant progress the sector has made across the globe. In the last four years, there has been a seven-fold increase in committed capital to hydrogen around the world and no less than 434 projects have now passed final investment decisions, a clear indication that “hydrogen is happening.” However, while the first chapter has been a resounding success, Jemelkova noted that the rest of the journey will not be without its hurdles. In order to fully realise the potential of hydrogen as a key contributor to the global energy transition, she said it is imperative stakeholders “remain focused” and direct efforts towards the key enablers of demand, efficient regulation and infrastructure.
Presentations on future hydrogen technologies were shown on the Innovation Stage.
“Our success depends on what we do next, and collaboration remains key. We must work hand-in-hand to advocate for hydrogen, to build, and to continue the success story.”
Ivana Jemelkova, CEO of the Hydrogen Council
Mobile battery systems revolutionise construction site power with zero emissions
Stanislav Betin, General Manager of HYPR Energy, a Positive Zero company, explained how their mobile battery systems are revolutionising power supply for construction sites.
The company has developed a 423 kWh battery mounted on a trailer that can be quickly mobilised to a site. As Betin noted, “It's very mobile as we can bring it anywhere. We can mobilise the site within three to four hours.”
A key advantage of the HYPR Energy system is that it is powered by renewable energy, not diesel generators. “When the site is idle, the battery is also idle. There's no
consumption. Whenever the peak power is required, the battery can sustain up to 450 kilowatt output,” he said.
The company leverages solar energy credits from its more than 500 solar projects across Dubai to charge the batteries, creating a circular economy and “reducing CO2 at every possible stage.” Betin emphasised the system's sustainability benefits, explaining that, “It's zero noise emitting, zero CO2 emitting. It has a smaller footprint, and in most cases it's cheaper than diesel generators.”
The real-time monitoring and fleet
The system includes a battery and an inverter pod, which can be carried to the construction site via a pickup truck.
management software also allows the company to track emissions, with Betin noting, “We understand the emission factor of every diesel generator capacity, so once we remove one diesel generator, [it is like] we remove 130 vehicles from the road.”
The HYPR Energy system utilises real-time data and fleet management
Global energy transition finance must prioritise equity and access, says IRENA Director
Raul Alfaro Pelico, Director - Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at IRENA, provided insights on the role of international cooperation and policy frameworks in driving the flow of transition finance towards developing economies.
At a panel session during the last day of the World Future Energy Summit, Pelico said that while global investment in energy transition has reached record levels, the distribution of these investments is highly uneven, with the majority concentrated in a few countries like China.
This leaves regions like sub-Saharan Africa severely
underserved, where more than 600 million people still lack access to electricity.
Pelico emphasised the critical need for aligned policies, including deployment, enabling, and integrating policies, to create a level playing field and direct finance towards where it is needed most.
“We need to look at industrial policy. We need to look at where the subsidies are going. And then finally, we need to look at just transition as a whole. How do we create jobs? You know, when those fossil fuel intensive activities will leave many people without jobs.”
software to closely monitor the batteries.
As Betin explained, "Every element of our system, either the charger, battery, a port, even a truck, is IoT connected. So we can see the real time location, and we can see also all the key parameters for that specific element, like the state of charge, state of health."
‘Top Brand PV’ title awarded to JA Solar
At the World Future Energy Summit, JA Solar proudly received the "Top Brand PV" award for the MENA region.
Presented by EUPD Research, the award recognises excellence in product quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction in the solar energy sector. It is based on comprehensive surveys and feedback from industry stakeholders, customers, and experts.
JA Solar has made significant contributions to the clean energy transition. Notably, the company recently signed a 1.25GW module supply agreement for the Abydos Phase II project, Africa's largest PV+storage project, in collaboration with project developer AMEA Power, and China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) as EPC.
"We are incredibly honored to be named the 'Top Brand PV' in the MENA region," said Tony Zhu, President of JA Solar's Solar & Storage Business Group.
"This recognition reflects our unwavering dedication to delivering superior solar solutions and driving the adoption of renewable energy across the globe. We remain steadfast in our mission to pave the way for a greener and more sustainable future."
Raul Alfaro Pelico, Director - Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at IRENA, pictured far-right.
“Since we started, our main focus has been education and building capacity. We touch on issues that people can identify with. and this is how we impact positive change.”
Habiba Al Mar’ashi, Chairperson and Co-founder of Emirates Environmental Group (EEG)
Japanese companies target UAE partnerships
Naoharu Takata, Manager of the Japanese Pavilion at the World Future Energy Summit, underlined Japan's commitment to collaborating with the United Arab Emirates and Gulf countries in renewable energy and advanced technologies.
Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), he said that the summit provides an ideal platform to showcase Japan’s innovations and foster regional partnerships.
The Japanese Pavilion features six companies specialising in clean energy, water management and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as part of the Japanese-UAE coordination in advanced technology initiative.
Takata explained that the water technology companies focus on addressing water scarcity and improving efficiency, while the AI firms develop smart systems for managing power plants and cutting emissions. AI can be leveraged to measure and analyse greenhouse gas emissions, supporting companies with actionable insights to figure out loopholes and act accordingly to lower carbon footprints in no time.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES:
Developing climate resilient communities
energy, water management and Artificial Intelligence.
One company, dedicated to sustainable transportation, has partnered with a major UAE airline to advance aviation technologies. This work has the potential to lower lifecycle emissions from operating aircrafts. Sustainable aviation fuel not only prevents the release of CO2 into the environment, but also can bring down contrails that might otherwise trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere.
These initiatives contribute to global carbon
neutrality goals, with some companies already securing contracts in the UAE.
Takata praised the summit as a key platform for fostering international dialogue, enabling companies to build strategic partnerships, and advancing sustainable development in the region.
He highlighted the UAE and Gulf countries as promising hubs for investment in renewable energy and carbon reduction technologies.
Nabat highlights AI significance in mangroves restoration
On the exhibition floor at the World Future Energy Summit, Nabat, a UAE-based company that has partnered with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi to restore thousands of hectares of mangroves throughout the country by 2030, confirmed it will continue leveraging artificial intelligence as it expands to other regions where mangroves are at risk, as well as other ecosystems including deserts, forests, farmland, and coral reefs.
By conserving and restoring mangroves, which are widely acknowledged as some of the planet’s most powerful carbon sinks, Nabat is directly supporting the region’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost biodiversity, and improve the resilience of coastal communities to the effects of climate change.
“The most effective and powerful technologies move the needle on real-world problems — and that’s what we’re offering with Nabat,” said Jennifer Simonjan, Director of Research at Nabat. “Powered by cuttingedge AI and autonomous robotics developed at Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute, we believe our work across the region in restoring vital ecosystems will play a key role on our collective journey to net-zero.”
The Japanese Pavilion features six companies specialising in clean
Nabat is supporting the UAE’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Abu Dhabi is open for business when it comes to low carbon hydrogen.”
Carlos Gasco, Energy Policy Executive Director of the Department of Energy Abu Dhabi
ECOWASTE: What’s on the agenda?
Driving action to protect the environment
Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), a Dubai-based NGO established in 1991, is devoted to protecting the environment through education, action programmes and community involvement, playing a critical role in driving environmental awareness and action over the years.
Habiba Al Mar’ashi, Co-founder and Chairperson, said, “Since we started, our main focus has been on education and building capacity. Our educational programmes are deeply ingrained into everyday life and society. We touch on issues people can identify with – this is how we impact positive change. One of the main stakeholders is the youth, so the majority of our educational programmes are centred around students in the various age groups.”
She explained how its approach is to tackle important environmental issues such as biodiversity and sustainable water resources through fun activities such as art and public speaking competitions.
“One of the characteristics of how we are impacting change is in the consistency and continuity of our programmes, so they become a part and parcel of education and the curriculum,” she added.
Corporate engagement and the role of the private sector in sustainable development is another focus,
where the NGO is helping to build capacity in sustainability issues, such as ESG reporting.
“What are the challenges and
opportunities they face? How can we bring them closer to the relevant government bodies? Opening the doors and dialogue between the private sector and government institutions is an important part of our activities,” she said.
“Identifying your stakeholders, mapping them in the order of importance, this is all part and parcel of how we are advocating change on the national level,” she continued, adding that EEG is working with financial institutions to help remove the barriers with regard to green and sustainable financing, an issue which has come to the fore since COP28.
Habiba Al Mar’ashi is gratified to see the focus and awareness on environmental and sustainability issues today, after many years of hard lobbying.
“What you see now here and on the national level is 33 years of hard work, knocking on doors, making our voice heard and not shying away from the challenges we face. In a small country we have managed to make a big impact, and then you get the leadership blessing and buy in, then advocating it and taking it to a global stage.”
Promoting female-led climate solutions
A participant in the CLIXai programme, Kamma Climate has developed an advanced climate dataset for the built environment, transforming millions of property data points into detailed environmental profiles. Its proprietary data engine equips mortgage lenders, real estate firms, energy companies, and public sector bodies with critical insights to manage climate risk, meet regulatory and net zero requirements, and commercialise low-carbon technologies. Orla Shields, CEO and Founder, said, “Participating in the CLIXai programme has provided a remarkable opportunity for us to present our cutting-edge climate technology and data to investors and businesses throughout the Middle East. CLIX, CLIXai and the World Future Energy Summit provide an unparalleled platform for early-stage, female-led businesses to launch, grow, and establish a meaningful presence in the region."
Another partiicipant, Brazil-based umgrauemeio has designed an AI solution for wildland fire management that covers more than 17.5 million hectares of forest areas across Brazil. Their software has a ‘smoke detect time’ of three seconds using AI and has reduced the potential of burned areas up to 90% in some coverage areas. It is targeting markets involved in forest conservation, agriculture, and environmental protection, collaborating with private companies, governments, and public-private partnerships.
Habiba Al Mar’ashi, Co-founder and Chairperson, Emirates Environmental Group (EEG).
Orla Shields, CEO and Founder, Kamma Climate.
“Kenya is emerging as a leader in renewable energy on the African continent, with an impressive 90% of its electricity generated from renewable sources, primarily hydro, solar and geothermal.”
Geraldine Sande, Channel Sales Leader for Schneider Electric East Africa
The call for climate finance
The jury is still out on the Baku Finance Goal, the ultimate outcome of the ‘Finance COP’ held in Azerbaijan in November 2024.
At COP15 in Copenhagen, a significant and farreaching decision was undertaken when developed countries committed to a goal of mobilising US$100bn a year by 2020 in a bid to address the climate-related needs of developing countries. While the concept of green finance was not a new concept, this development thrust the topic firmly into the limelight, with parties seeking to bring in funding from a variety of sources from public and private, bilateral and multilateral as well as alternative sources of finance.
By 2015 and COP21, a lack of success in reaching this target led to calls for a renewed emphasis, with parties deciding to extend the target, setting a new collective quantified goal on climate finance prior to 2025 from a floor of US$100bn per year.
With the 2025 deadline coming to a close, the international community reconvened for COP29 in Azerbaijan, acutely aware that this would be the last opportunity to agree on a new collective quantified goal. Against a background of increasing climate instability and with the urgent need to support developing countries shift to a low-carbon economy, the question of climate finance took centre stage and fast became a point of serious contention. While there was certainly much to celebrate in Baku with, by example, a conclusion for the Article 6 negotiation of high integrity carbon markets and the full operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, the centre piece – labelled the Baku Finance Goal (BFG) – went down to the wire. Split opinions on the scale of contributions
GEOTHERMAL: Meeting electricity demand growth
According to the Organisation for Economic Development Cooperation, the COP21 US$100bn climate finance target was missed every year until 2022 when US$116bn was achieved.
developed nations should make led to, at one point, numerous nations walking out and put a conclusive agreement in jeopardy. However, in the final hour and with all parties returning to the room, the BFG was eventually finalised, confirming a US$300bn target for developed nations to commit until 2035.
While the outcome was labelled “the best possible deal” that could have been reached by COP29 President, Mukhtar Babayev, other commentators viewed it differently. Indian Negotiator, Chandni Raina was one of the leading voices in dissent, naming it “an optical illusion” that “will not address
The US$300bn/year by 2035 is too little, too late for a continent facing climate devastation while contributing least to emissions.
Ali Mohamed Chair of the African group of Negotiators
the enormity of the challenge we all face.” This sentiment was also echoed by Ali Mohamed, Kenya’s Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chair of the African Group of Negotiators, who said, “Africa leaves Baku with realism and resignation as COP29 progress falls far short of our hopes… The US$300bn/year by 2035 is too little, too late for a continent facing climate devastation while contributing least to emissions.”
Ultimately, time will tell whether the critics of the BFG are proven correct or whether the agreement will hold together the climate effort in support of developing nations. However, while the dust has more or less settled since the closing of COP29, a looming event promises to stir up this debate once again: the inauguration of US President Trump. Having won the US election in the twilight of last year, his return to the White House is accompanied by a wave of speculation on what the future holds for the environment. In his last stint as President, Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement (a move reversed by President Biden) and it is widely expected that he will repeat this feat when he returns to office. With the US one of the leading contributors to climate finance (providing more than US$11bn in 2024) as well as an enormously influential voice on the global stage, the change of policy direction at its helm could well mark the success or failure of the BFG in its early years.
“Focusing on waste management solutions, waste reduction, sustainable production and sustainable packaging would definitely help in reducing the negative impact on our climate.”
Dr Jacinta Dsilva, Sustainability Research Director at SEE Institute, Dubai
Advancing green hydrogen
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is emerging as a global hub for green hydrogen development, with countries in the region advancing ambitious projects.
Recent months have seen significant strides, underpinned by strategic investments and collaborations aimed at achieving global decarbonisation goals.
The UAE is playing a leading role in developing and deploying hydrogen. Its clean energy leader Masdar is at the forefront of green hydrogen technologies, developing power-to-X projects in the UAE and globally, while accelerating investment in green hydrogen to support the diversification of the UAE’s economy and the global energy systems transformation.
With a target of producing 1 million tonnes per annum of green hydrogen or equivalent derivatives within a decade, Masdar has adopted a “smart early-mover" approach by investing in strategic projects and building scalable platforms in key markets. Masdar is also driving the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation, marine, and steel, and is developing projects to establish reliable supply chains for green ammonia, eMethanol, SAF, eMethane, and liquid hydrogen, supporting the global energy systems transformation.
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said, “Green hydrogen is a critical pillar in the transformation of energy systems, unlocking pathways to decarbonise hard-to-abate
SOLAR & CLEAN ENERGIES: What’s on the agenda
sectors and offering a powerful opportunity to accelerate progress toward net-zero goals.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is making remarkable progress in green hydrogen through its flagship NEOM Green Hydrogen Company.
The US$5bn facility integrates up to 4GW of solar and wind energy to produce 1.2 million tons of green ammonia annually. Scheduled to begin production in 2025, this project positions Saudi Arabia as a leading exporter of green hydrogen. The facility not only exemplifies the Kingdom’s ambition to lead the global energy transition but also aligns with its Vision 2030 objectives, which
Green hydrogen is a critical pillar in the transformation of energy systems, unlocking pathways to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors and offering a powerful opportunity to accelerate progress toward net-zero goals.
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi Chief Executive Officer, Masdar
aim to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.
Oman is leveraging its abundant renewable energy resources, vast tracts of available land and strategic location to establish itself as a key player in the global hydrogen market. The nation is progressing with plans to produce and export green hydrogen, with the aim of producing 1mn tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, targeting Europe as a primary market. Collaborations with international partners and advancements in renewable energy technology underpin the country’s ambitious goals. According to the IEA, Oman could be the Middle East’s largest hydrogen exporter by 2030.
The GCC's investments in hydrogen reflect a broader commitment to sustainability and economic diversification. By adopting advanced technologies and fostering international partnerships, the region is addressing global energy challenges while strengthening its economic resilience.
The Green Hydrogen Summit, taking place at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week on 16 January, brings together industry leaders to advance the universal adoption of green hydrogen across a range of sectors. Reflecting Abu Dhabi’s ambition to become the global hub for green hydrogen and its derivatives through innovation and investments, the 2025 Green Hydrogen Summit aligns closely with Abu Dhabi’s Low Carbon Hydrogen Policy and the UAE's National Hydrogen Strategy 2050.
The GCC countries are making strides in green hydrogen development.
“Offshore wind has significant potential and is a critical component of the energy transition.”
Yukio Kani, CEO of JERA
GREEN FINANCE: What’s on the agenda?
The answer to global electricity demand growth?
The vast potential of geothermal energy is becoming realised, as outlined in a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Across the globe, momentum is building around geothermal energy. In the US, the Biden-Harris administration identified it as one of the crucial components of facilitating a carbon-neutral grid by 2035; East Africa has long been a hotspot for driving geothermal deployment (meeting nearly half of Kenya’s current energy needs) and continues to drive further growth; the European Council has called for faster deployment of the resource to help “strengthen competitiveness and secure energy sovereignty”; interest continues to build in Asia with countries such as Indonesia boasting an estimated geothermal capacity of nearly 30GW; and the Middle East is opening itself up to the vast opportunities available such as the significant energy potential offered by superhot rock formations that cover 40% of the region.
It is in this context that the IEA has published ‘The Future of Geothermal Energy’ report. It shows that geothermal meets around 1% of global electricity demand but, if project costs continue to decline, it could meet 15% of global electricity demand growth between now and 2050 through the deployment of as much as 800GW of capacity worldwide.
But the fulfilment of this massive potential is not a foregone conclusion and, in order to do so, the IEA has drawn attention to the importance of new technologies that could “open new horizons for
Total investment in geothermal could reach US$1 trillion by 2035 and US$2.5 trillion by 2050.
energy across the globe”, according to IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.
Conventional geothermal is largely locationspecific, niche technology deployed in countries that have volcanic activity or straddle tectonic fault lines, but new technologies could make geothermal accessible for nearly all countries. In fact, the IEA reports finds that the full technical potential of nextgeneration geothermal systems to generate electricity is second only to solar PV among renewable technologies, and would be sufficient to meet electricity demand 140-times over. Potential energy increases as developers access higher heat resources at greater depths, and new drilling technologies exploring resources beyond 3 km depth could open the potential for geothermal in
Geothermal is a major opportunity to draw on the technology and expertise of the oil and gas industry.
Faith Birol IEA Executive Director
nearly all countries. Further, using thermal resources at depths below 8 km would deliver almost 600TW of geothermal capacity with an operating lifespan of 25 years.
To unlock this, an unlikely player steps into the fold. “Geothermal is a major opportunity to draw on the technology and expertise of the oil and gas industry,” explained Birol. Up to 80% of the investment required in geothermal involves capacity and skills that are transferrable from the oil and gas industry. For many businesses currently operating within the fossil fuel sector, this presents an opportunity for them to develop new business lines in the fast-growing clean energy economy and also would protect against commercial risks related to likely declines in oil and gas demand.
But support from the oil and gas sector would not be enough for geothermal to truly take flight, with the IEA also drawing attention to the urgent need for greater governmental support. Its findings show that more than 100 countries have policies in place for solar PV and onshore wind, but only 30 have them for geothermal. Much ground would be made if geothermal was moved up on national energy agendas with specific goals, alongside support for innovation and technology development. Further, long-term regulatory visibility for investors would help mitigate risks in early-stage development and provide visibility on investment returns. This would help to improve cost competitiveness of geothermal and, in doing so, would help costs fall by 80% by 2035 to around US$50 per MWh.
"COP16 on combating desertification marked a new chapter in the UAE’s achievements to address the global drought crisis and halting land degradation.”
Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment
Developing climate-resilient communities
Dr Jacinta Dsilva, Sustainability Research Director at SEE Institute, Dubai, discusses approaches to build climate-resilient communities.
The floods which took place last year in Dubai have thrown into sharp focus the need for a heightened emphasis on constructing infrastructure which can guard against future environmental challenges, particularly climate calamities. The fact that Dubai’s Sustainable City did not flood at this time only goes to show the benefits of such an approach.
Discussing some of the environmental challenges, Dr Dsilva highlights rapid urbanisation, which will in turn involve a lot of construction, take up scarce natural resources and raise carbon emissions; and haphazard construction which does not address the possibility of major climate events or crises.
“Above all, the high temperatures and arid climate here is a major challenge, requiring infrastructure incorporating green solutions and retaining some climate resilience.” Scarce water resources and haphazard utilisation of land are also issues, she adds.
“City planners and urban developers need to really, really focus on green infrastructure, at the design stage,” she stresses.
“What do I mean by green infrastructure? Bringing in more parks, green roofs and wetlands, which can absorb a lot more water and help reduce the heat island effect,” she says. This will also enhance air quality, she adds, and will have a positive impact on mental health and overall wellbeing.
Other factors needing to be addressed at the planning stage are connectivity and accessibility, which should also take into account the needs of
vulnerable members of the population such as the elderly. Measures could include investing in more public transport, as well as buildings which are evacuation-friendly.
“We need to incorporate technology and smart systems such as integrating sensors or real-time monitoring or early warning signs to help diagnose the situation and evacuate people during emergencies. Such technologies and smart systems can be used to promote energy efficiency as well as disaster management, and should be incorporated in a way that is tailored to the local environment.
“For example, we are working with a company which is looking at the heat island effect, who are utilising technology to provide us with data which will help us identify which cities or parts of Dubai have more heat impact, and what solutions we can implement in those specific areas. As developers, Sustainable City can utilise these technologies at the construction stage to determine factors such as what kind of paint to use, or what kind of design or orientation.” She adds that residents in the Sustainable City have seen a reduction in their electricity bills as well as a positive impact on their health due to incorporating multiple sustainable solutions. “So there is a lot of proactive thinking needed by the urban planners, architects and designers.”
Elaborating on the need for nature-based solutions, Dr Dsilva says that air-to-water solutions should be considered to improve water quality and address the issue of water scarcity, as well as soil
These nature-based solutions will help us build more resilience in our communities as well as developing our ecosystem.
Dr. Jacinta Dsilva Sustainability Research Director, SEE Institute
INNOVATION HUB:
Current and future solutions
Dr Jacinta Dsilva, Sustainability Research Director at SEE Institute.
stabilisation solutions, noting that the UAE is making significant investments in plantations and mangroves. The Government is providing support to those incorporating biodiversity and creating recreational spaces both for humans and other species. Ecotourism is also a growing trend.
“These nature-based solutions will help us build more resilience in our communities as well as developing our ecosystem.”
The Government has a major role to play in encouraging the incorporation of sustainable practices and technology, she says, for example in incentivising the development of renewable energies.
“Something that is close to my heart is circular economy principles,” she continues. “Focusing on waste management solutions, waste reduction, sustainable production and sustainable packaging would definitely help in reducing the negative impact on our climate.”
Dr Dsilva concludes by stressing the importance of education to foster a culture of sustainability in future generations. “Unless we educate our current and younger generations, it won’t be possible to do any of these things. Community engagement and education at an early stage can definitely help. Government can play a huge role in this area.”
Using technology, gamification and other methodologies to get these messages over to young people can facilitate climate-resilient communities, she suggests.
