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The Sustainabilist ISSUE 11

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RENEWABLE ENERGY REALISATION

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CLIMATE IS CHANGING

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Unveiling Austriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Energy & Climate Strategy

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ddressing the growing challenges in the energy sector isn’t easy or direct, but under the watchful eye of the visionary leadership we are lucky to have in this country, the discussions around finding solutions are plentiful, meaningful and inclusive.

Eng Waleed Bin Salman Chairman, Dubai Carbon

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The Sustainabilist is published by Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence PSC. Articles reprinted in this issue are copyrighted 2018 by Dubai Carbon. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or in part, without prior written permission of Dubai Carbon is expressively prohibited. Printed by: Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC P.O. Box - 5613, Dubai, UAE. Nothing in this magazine shall be taken as technical or advice and DCCE waives any liability with respect to any representations made.The production of this magazine will be offset with local carbon credits.

The scope of the challenge requires an integrated approach that links all elements into a coherent energyefficiency strategy, and this type of strategy should include a tailored regulatory framework; a communications and information initiative to persuade residents, businesses, and other stakeholders to reduce their energy consumption; and a research and development (R&D) component to make sure the UAE is capitalising on emerging technology to boost efficiency. As it stands, there are several governmental initiatives tackling the energy sector, including the UAE Energy Plan 2050, Dubai Plan 2021, Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 (DIES), Demand Side Management Strategy 2030 (DSM), and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. Many companies and organisations have pledged to align themselves with one or more of these strategies, and to implement drastic changes to curtail energy consumption and put more sustainable practices in place. In this issue we take a look at some of

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Digital transformation in the energy sector is at the top of the list of this dialogue, and at the heart of every roundtable, workshop and conference that has taken place over the past few years.

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Letter from the Editor in Chief

these initiatives that are really impacting change. We showcase the kind of corporate leadership and decisionmaking that has lead to great strides in innovation, and we hear from the experts in their fields locally and abroad about the solutions we can expect to take effect in the near future. Digital transformation in the energy sector is at the top of the list of this dialogue, and at the heart of every roundtable, workshop and conference that has taken place over the past few years. Diversity and inclusion come in at a close second, and make for an important discourse surrounding the future of jobs in this industry. And as long as there remains the capacity for open and honest discussion, we’re sure to achieve the goals laid out by each and every one of our strategies.

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Located at Bee’ah’s Waste Management Centre in Sharjah, the new plant will have the capacity to process more than 37.5 tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) per hour. The plant is set to have a capability of approximately 30 MW which will be able to power 28,000 homes.

t Dubai Carbon, we offset our resources used through our UAE-generated credit. A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere. This approach, despite being more complex, is more beneficial in the long run as it has a 6x multiplier for green economy and green GDP.

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HIGHLIGHT

Clean Energy for a Clean World The Sustainabilist in conversation with HE Ahmad Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Board Member of ENOC, on UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participation in COP 24, focus on renewable energy and ENOCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiatives implemented to achieve renewable energy targets.

he UAE is playing a prominent role in combatting global warming and its efforts are exemplified globally in implementing initiatives to counter the impact of climate change. To reinforce their commitment to the principles of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a delegation from the UAE, led by HE Dr Thani Al

Issue 11 | January 2019

With its participation at COP24, the UAE seeks to advance endeavours to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement worldwide. The UAE is calling for more ambitious climate action based on a voluntary approach by outlining the country’s experience in issuing legislations and strategies that form a regulatory framework for climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. In addition, the UAE also highlighted its ambitious clean and renewable energy targets, as well as the country’s global aid and investment in renewable energy through its public and private sector. They are also introducing the national youth empowerment drive that aims to encourage young people to actively participate in achieving a sustainable future. The UAE has adopted a series of ambitious visions and strategies, including the UAE Vision 2021, to promote sustainability. The UAE Energy Strategy 2050 seeks to bring the share of clean energy in the total energy mix to 50 per cent, while the National Climate Change Plan of the UAE streamlines the concept of climate change mitigation and adaptation across the government and private sector. The UAE has also through its government and semi-government entities helped deploy renewable energy solutions across the world. ENOC has implemented various initiatives in line with Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy which aims to achieve 7 per cent of Dubai’s energy needs from clean energy sources by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050. Focus on clean energy underlines ENOC’s commitment to support the

green vision of Dubai and the UAE, and complements the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy (DIES) 2030. We are constantly looking for opportunities to contribute to

energy mix. Over the years, the Group has focused on utilising clean energy sources that will help reduce dependence on fossil fuel generated electricity and minimise environmental impact

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ENOC Group has implemented several sustainability initiatives over the past few years. This includes incorporating a Sustainability Index in the organisational score card with set targets for 2018. The index revealed an improvement in stakeholder perception; jumping by five times in the Group’s stakeholder engagement analysis report, demonstrating a shift towards efforts to embrace sustainability concepts.

ENOC has implemented various initiatives in line with Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy which aims to achieve 7 per cent of Dubai’s energy needs from clean energy sources by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050.

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Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE), attended the 24th Conference of Parties, COP 24 in Katowice, Poland.

the development of the country’s assets and key infrastructure projects, while aligning our strategic goals with the UAE’s larger mandate aimed at diversifying the

While the Group continues to ramp up its CSR and sustainability efforts, there have been significant efforts to innovate and offer products that contribute to a diversified energy mix as per the government mandate and energy strategy. Such an example is the use of alternative fuels including BioDiesel5 and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the product portfolio. Across its retail network of service stations in the UAE, the Group has deployed a host of innovative methods that contribute to enhancing energy efficiency, such as using solar pv panels to power its service stations across Dubai, the use of vapour recovery systems, variant refrigerant flow and LED lighting in retail forecourts. ENOC has also announced that all future service stations will be powered by solar energy to support the UAE’s long-term strategy to target an energy mix that combines renewable, nuclear and clean energy sources. The Group estimates more than 23 GWh of solar energy will be generated to power the new stations by 2020, minimising the load on DEWA’s grid and power generating stations. 7

Issue 11 | January 2019

COVER STORY COVER STORY

Changing the Energy Landscape His Excellency Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO of ENOC speaks to The Sustainabilist about ENOCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;strategic accomplishments, alignment with Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clean Energy Strategy and sustainable future plans.

rom an organisational achievements point of view, how have the last 5 years been for ENOC? Over the past five years, the Group has celebrated a number of notable achievements. Despite the challenging macroeconomic landscape, we managed to achieve a record sales of 249 million barrels of petroleum products in 2017, representing a growth of 24 per cent in revenue compared to the previous year. The Group has been appointed as the 9

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

The Dragon Oil acquisition transformed our Group into a fully integrated oil and gas business and gave Dubai ownership of assets capable of producing over 100,000 barrels per day of oil. These achievements are aligned with the Group’s strategic direction to meet the energy needs of the UAE, expand its operations and invest in the infrastructure required to facilitate Dubai’s growth. With regards to infrastructure development, there are many examples of how ENOC is contributing to achieving the UAE’s ambitious goals. The Group’s refinery expansion project is one such example, which is expected to be completed by Q4 of 2019 at a cost in excess of US$1 billion. It will add a new condensate processing train, expanding daily capacity by 50 per cent to 210,000 barrels. The project also involves additional downstream processing units such as naphtha hydrotreater, isomerisation unit, kerosene and diesel hydrotreaters, utilities, warehouse and storage tanks. The higher production capacity will help meet expanding domestic and global demand for the plant’s refined products. For the aviation sector, ENOC built a 58 kilometre jet fuel pipeline that secures the fuel needs of aircrafts in and out of Dubai International Airport. Construction is progressing on the 16.2 km jet fuel pipeline connecting 10

its terminals in Jebel Ali to Al Maktoum International Airport. Set to be operational in time for Expo 2020, the pipeline is designed to carry 2,000 cubic metres of jet fuel per hour to Al Maktoum International Airport and aims to provide an estimated 60 per cent of Dubai Airports’ jet fuel needs by 2050. In 2017, ENOC Group announced the opening of the UAE’s first solar powered service station.The service station has solar PV panels installed on the roof of the canopy and produces a 120 kWh of energy on an ideal day during peak hours, which is approximately 30 per cent more than the average energy required to run the station. the excess power generated is transmitted back to the DEWA grid and a DEWA solar metre tracks the power injected to the power grid. Following the success of opening the country’s first solar powered service station, ENOC announced its plans to power all future service stations with solar pv panels. So far, we have opened more than 10 service stations which are powered by solar PV panels and are on track to expand our retail network by 40% by 2020. We also have plans to build more than 30 stations over the next two years. In addition, we recently converted the Lubricants and Grease Manufacturing plant (DLPP) located in Jebel Ali, to fully operate on solar energy. The completion of the first solar powered lubricants blending plant in the UAE underlines our continuous efforts to leverage renewable energy to power our assets, in line with the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 (DIES). More than 300 photovoltaic solar PV panels have been installed on the roof of the 1,000 square metre warehouse, which will generate over 160,000 kwh/ year of electricity, sufficient to meet the

annual electricity consumption of DLPP. Excess electricity will be transmitted back to the DEWA grid. Following Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy which aims to diversity the energy mix, with 7% of Dubai’s total power output to come from clean energy come from clean energy by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050, ENOC spearheaded the application of alternative fuels such as Biodiesel and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

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In 2017, ENOC Group announced the opening of the UAE’s first solar powered service station, in line with its commitment towards the goals of Dubai Plan 2021 to turn the Emirate into a smart and sustainable city.

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Expo 2020 Dubai’s Official Integrated Energy Partner. The appointment will offer ENOC an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to the nation, as we continue to invest in infrastructure projects that will fulfil the energy needs of Dubai and the UAE.

Issue 11 | January 2019

These are just a few examples in a rich portfolio of projects and products, and through these activities, ENOC is set to becoming better - from producing better products and services, to training people on the latest technologies, to introducing the best-in-class facilities, we strive to stay at the forefront of what makes up the best values of the UAE. What are some of the challenges ENOC faces with the continued demand for sustainable energy as the UAE sees population, industry, and hospitality growth? According to BP Outlook, the growth in energy consumption in the Middle East alone will soar with a 54 per cent increase by 2040. This growth rate demands a proactive approach to energy management along the value chain, from production to consumption. The process has already started with increased enhanced oil recovery (EOR), more renewable power generation and subsidy cuts. But these are just the first steps as pressure from the triggers will inevitably intensify. Talent with cutting-edge ideas, critical and innovative thinking – will play a pivotal role in enabling NOC’s like ENOC to ensure ambitious national agendas

thrive. ENOC’s contributions to the UAE’s socio-economic success reflects its historic emphasis on talent advancement and focusing time and funds on such endeavours underpins our commitment.

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Talent with cuttingedge ideas, critical and innovative thinking will play a pivotal role in enabling NOC’s like ENOC to ensure ambitious national agendas thrive.

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The expansion of our terminalling and storage facilities in Fujairah has been a strategic initiative, due to the emirate’s location on the Indian Ocean, which provides direct access to markets in Asia and Africa, thus becoming a strategic position to attract greater export/import, and also boost frequencies of maritime routes to and from this region. Fujairah will therefore further boost its influence as an oil-trading hub with the addition of the region’s first crude-shipment jetty and expanded storage facilities at Vopak Horizon Fujairah.

What part does the oil and gas industry play regarding the objectives outlined in the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, Dubai’s Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050? Renewables will play a complementary, rather than competitive, role to fossil

fuels in the foreseeable future. But there is no doubt that energy and economic security in Dubai and beyond relies on the prosperity of both. BP Energy Outlook anticipates that oil and gas together will account for over half of the world’s energy up to 2040, with the Middle East remaining the world’s largest oil producer and the second-largest gas producer. The region will account for over 34 per cent of global liquids production and 20 per cent of gas production by 2040. And non-fossil fuels will account for 8 per cent of the Middle East’s energy consumption in 2040, compared with 1 per cent today. While non-fossil fuels account for a smaller percentage in 2040, the figures still mark a steady growth rate when considering it will require new technologies, policies and a societal shift in the way energy is consumed. It would be a mistake to discount the importance of renewables. What does the future of ENOC Retail look like, and what are some of the goals expected to be achieved in the next year? ENOC currently manages and operates more than 122 service stations in the UAE, reaching an estimate of 120 million customers annually. The Group is committed to further expand its retail network by 40%, reaching a total exceeding 200 service stations by 2020. In 2018, ENOC opened more than 13 stations and is on track to open more than 30 additional stations by 2020. In addition to expanding its network and reach to accommodate the increasing demand for fuel across the UAE, the Group has announced its plans to include solar PV panels to power all its future service stations around the UAE. These plans complement the UAE’s long term strategy to target an energy mix that 11

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

combines renewable, nuclear, and clean energy sources to meet the country’s economic requirements and environmental goals. The Group previously piloted the UAE’s first solar powered service station earlier in 2017, and now operates close to more than 10 solar powered service stations in Dubai. As Dubai continues to shift gears to facilitate its transformation into a ‘Smart City,’ it is imperative for the retail sector to complement this evolution, focusing on digitising the retail supply chain. This builds on the Smart Dubai vision announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, which places people, not technology, at the heart of its narrative. ENOC’s operations span across fuel retail as well as convenience stores, automotive services, and F&B. The Group’s diverse retail offering led 12

it towards making significant strides towards digitization; steering retail offerings to become ‘smarter’ and thereby complementing the four core pillars of the Smart Dubai initiative – Efficient, Seamless, Safe and Impactful. Our strategy supports the larger vision of the government to enhance the happiness of people, by bringing greater efficiency to every day services.

develop the service station of the future; a concept which centers on the digital transformation of the fourecourt to enhance customer experience. By linking ENOC services with mobile apps and leveraging artificial intellingence, customers will be able to enjoy a personalized and convenient experience that includes directing them to less busy stations on their routes.

Driving the transformation of the region and Dubai’s retail sector are two defining trends: the first is the phenomenal increase in smart phone penetration that puts shopping at consumer’s fingertips. The second trend, a corollary of the first, is the rise in the number of innovative payment gateways and choices.

Other technologies include the introduction and use of the Vehicle Identification Pass (ViP) cash-less, enabling payments across ENOC’s entire retail network using NoL cards, and the Dubai Now app and ENOCPay, a service platform that unifies all current and future technologies to allow for easy cardless and cashless payment for fuel and non-fuel products at ENOC service stations. All these efforts come together with the aim of enhancing the customer experience and effectively channel their retail experience into the ‘smart’ zone.

We have always been advocates of adapting smart and innovative solutions to offer convenience to customers at every touch point. A recent agreement signed with Microsoft to design and

Carbon neutral currency Collaboratively working towards the new standard in global carbon transaction Watch this space for more & share your thoughts at tellmeyourstory@dcce.ae

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

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Bridging the Gap

Children today will need to develop a whole different set of skills to prepare themselves for a future of jobs that haven’t even been invented yet. By Ivano Iannelli

CEO, Dubai Carbon

n the past, school children were taught how to become employees. Lessons were centred around physically measurable skills and were partitioned in tangible categories. Jobs in the oil & gas, manufacturing and construction sectors were all but guaranteed. Today, the picture looks noticeably different, with the Fourth Industrial Revolution promising a future of automation and traditional job families falling away, forcing children to imagine a very different destiny. A surge in the renewable energy sector and jobs concerning sustainability seem to be balancing some of these fluctuations out, with a forecast of 277,000 new jobs expected to be created over the next decade in the UAE. However with the rapid change that technology and environment brings, it’s almost impossible to anticipate which specific occupations will thrive in years to come. The problem with the changing world of work is not so much the loss of opportunities as the period of transition. There will always be a need for doctors, engineers, lawyers and teachers etc., but the nature of these positions will look

completely different from the way they do now. So preparing kids for a future of jobs that haven’t been invented yet will take a major overhaul of how we think about education. It also means that the education cycle of 12 years needs to become more agile and adaptable. STEM together with instilling an entrepreneurial mindset will become a primary focus, and fostering social abilities like networking, communication, negotiation, teambuilding and problem-solving will play important roles in how children are assessed. We see that some schools in the UAE are already taking these steps, but a recent study done by Microsoft in the MENA region found that while teachers feel it’s imperative to integrate technology into educational institutions, the vast majority of them haven’t or are unable to do so.

About 97% of those surveyed felt that technology plays a big role in transforming education systems, however, only 32% of respondents are implementing STEM education and digital literacy as part of their curriculum. All of this not only requires curriculum reform but also a collaborative effort from government, private sector, teachers and parents. Addressing these issues is a complex process, but can be solved, by continuing to invest in supportive and integrated ecosystems. Schools that collaborate with technology companies, and extra-curricular virtual solutions will see the most success.

Issue 11 | January 2019

FEATURE

Girl Power Now you can purchase renewable energy and contribute to gender equality. “When a company purchases one MWh of electricity with W+ from either one of ACWA Power’s projects they are purchasing renewable energy for their operations while also empowering local women.”

nequality has been a persistent issue in the climate change discussion. In general debates have raged and are still raging over differences across countries regarding the responsibility for causing climate change and the consequent responsibility for mitigation and adaptation efforts. However, withincountry or social inequality has not garnered as much attention.

end poverty itself. And of course, women and girls are usually the most affected by poverty and inequality. Stepping up

Research has shown that climate change and inequality are locked in a vicious cycle, whereby climate change hazards end up aggravating inequality.

Coming together to address some of these issues are three companies, ECOHZ, Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN), and ACWA Power. The three organisations have teamed up to give companies a tool to both mitigate climate change and empower women.

If numbers are anything to go by, more than 700 million people live in extreme poverty around the world and 1.1 billion people live without electricity. This indicates that solving energy poverty could

Starting with projects in Morocco and South Africa, this collaboration will bolster ACWA Power’s larger CSR initiative, which began implementation in 2013 in the commune of Ghassate in

Morocco. The project aims to increase the income and employability of communities through agriculture, livestock and handicraft activities, and the creation of cooperatives, as well as to improve access to basic services such as education, with a particular attention to involving women and girls. The project has implemented activities in which women are particularly involved and are benefiting from. ACWA Power’s Noor complex in Morocco is currently the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant project in the world, and their Bokpoort solar power plant in South Africa is one of the most efficient power plants in the world. These two projects generate and dispatch a significant amount of renewable energy 15

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

Working with ECOHZ and WOCAN, ACWA Power aims to encourage companies around the world to purchase energy that has a positive impact on communities. The W Factor WOCAN created the W+ Standard, which is a unique certification label that endorses projects that create increased social and economic benefits for women participating in economic development or environment projects, including those that provide renewable energy technologies, time and labor saving devices, forest and agriculture activities, and employment opportunities. The W+ is an innovative framework to quantify and monetise the social capital created by women, to recognize and reward their contributions to sustainable environments and communities. The W+ measures women’s empowerment in six domains: Time, Income & Assets, Health, Leadership, Education & Knowledge and Food Security. It produces quantified women-benefit units that contribute towards post 2015 Sustainability Goals (SDGs), Climate Financing or CSR targets. W+ is being used by ACWA Power to ensure that the CSR project associated with Noor Power Plant increases income and improve the livelihoods of the local female population, and the Bokpoort Power Plant’s CSR project contributes to clean water, solar lighting, adult education, food security, and apprenticeships and jobs for local women. 16

So when a company purchases one MWh of electricity with W+ from either one of ACWA Power’s projects they are purchasing renewable energy for their operations in that region while also empowering local women. Companies choosing documented renewable energy

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W+ is being used by ACWA Power to ensure that the CSR project associated with Noor Power Plant increases income and improves the livelihoods of the local female population.

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to the grid, documented with International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs).

can reduce their carbon footprint and improve their sustainability ratings. “Engaging and empowering women in project communities will create better project outcomes and improve lives.

WOCAN is excited to collaborate with ACWA Power and ECOHZ and enable credible, measurable social co-benefits in renewable energy projects,” says Jeannette Gurung, Executive Director of WOCAN. A new perspective Delivering this power is ECOHZ, a renewable energy company, with offices in Norway and Switzerland, that offers global renewable energy solutions to businesses, organisations and electricity providers - providing renewable electricity, from a wide range of sources, regions and qualities. And by engaging in projects such as this, the company endeavors to play an active role in the current energy transition through its vision of “changing energy behaviour”. “We work to change corporations’ energy behaviour, so it is very exciting for us to also give companies the opportunity to empower women at the same time,” says Tom Lindberg, Managing Director at ECOHZ. “Our long-term commitment to the countries where our power plants are located extends beyond supplying electricity to the grid. When we invest in developing a power plant, quite often at remote locations, we actively collaborate with the host community to generate employment opportunity and economic activity and improve their quality of life on an enduring basis for the long term. We’re pleased to be partnering with WOCAN and to specifically contribute to female empowerment through our CSR work arising from our investment in the renewable energy sector,” says Paddy Padmanathan, President and CEO of ACWA Power.

Leader in the Energy Transition Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been the GCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading energy partner for 30 years, offering expert solutions in the field of low-carbon energy and transformational energy services. With our customers, we forge ahead together in building a sustainable future for the region.

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

FEATURE

Smart City Rising The World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have signed a partnership agreement in Dubai to fast-track green investments into bankable smart city projects.

What goes into making a Smart City? Investment and cooperation, first and foremost. Global forecasts indicate that spending on smart city projects will grow to US $34.35 billion by 2020 worldwide. These statistics become an excellent framework for understanding why Dubai is well-poised to become a leader among 177 other cities investing in smart technology. In an effort to bolster its facilitation and implementation of various green investment projects in the UAE, the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO) has signed a partnership agreement with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in Dubai. The joint initiative will make it possible for smart green cities and sustainable infrastructure projects to gain access to grants and investments through the WGEO Trust Fund. The project aims to serve as a platform to identify, develop and fund long-term, high-impact bankable projects. GGGI will deliver sixty bankable smart green city projects worth a total of US$1.1 billion to this initiative over the next 3 years, and each of the projects will benefit from the explicit support of the Dubai government, and, as such will present a competitive advantage to interested investors. The UAE sees green growth as an approach to address its complex set of challenges and is pursuing its Federal Vision 2021 and its Green Economy for Sustainable Development Vision as a framework for long-term sustainable development. Sustainable economic development means that the green economy must

Issue 11 | January 2019

“Smart green cities and sustainable infrastructure projects create unprecedented opportunities for longterm prosperity, leading to more vibrant and attractive markets, healthy economies, poverty reduction, and sustainable development”, says HE Saeed Mohamed Al Tayer, Chairman of the World Green Economy Organisation. “The World Green Economy Organisation is uniquely placed to provide systematic and holistic catalytic support to the promotion of the green economy, meaning that it will handle all aspects of the promotion of green economy. Access to green finance through the WGEO Trust Fund is one among a number of practical value propositions offered by the organisation”, he added. In 2017, the GGGI reportedly helped to mobilize over half a billion US dollars for green investments that aim to support developing countries and emerging economies transition toward environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive economic growth. The UAE, with the support of GGGI, has strived to close identified gaps in achieving its vision through systematically building a national framework where interemirates and cross-sector coordination and collaboration can effectively take place and progress can be monitored. These renewed policy frameworks now need to

be implemented and made fully functional. Dr. Frank Rijsberman, Director-General of GGGI says: “I see a tremendous opportunity in our collaboration from

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Smart green cities and sustainable infrastructure projects create unprecedented opportunities for long-term prosperity, leading to more vibrant and attractive markets, healthy economies, poverty reduction, and sustainable development.

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include the reduction of inequalities and bring multiple social, economic and environmental benefits to all citizens. Recognising that people are at the center of sustainable development, the partnership between WGEO and GGGI aims to contribute to securing a world that is equitable and inclusive.

jointly setting up the process to managing the Project Preparation phase and developing green city bankable projects. I’m confident that our projects will attract

the GGGI Member countries as well as WGEO investors to want to invest.” GGGI is championing green growth and climate resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement commitments. GGGI is a trusted advisor to governments in over 30 countries transitioning to green economic growth. GGGI results support 6 outcomes critical to achieving SDGs and NDCs: greenhouse gas emission reduction; creation of green jobs; increased access to sustainable services; improved air quality; adequate access to ecosystem services; and enhanced climate adaptation. The WGEO emerged in response to the call by the international community, as reflected in the outcome document of the Rio+20 conference, entitled “The Future We Want”, where governments, the private sector, and all other stakeholders are called to support countries interested in the transition to a green economy. The organisation seeks to promote the mainstreaming of the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, by linking financing, technology, capacity building and all other elements of the enabling environment for green economy. Building on the UAE’s success in developing and mainstreaming green growth and drawing on the understanding of the need for collective action to address common regional challenges, the UAE is on the path to sharing expertise gained from its experiences with other countries in the region as well. 19

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

CASE STUDY

Direct and Indirect Energy Storage - Opportunities From Negative Energy Cost By Dr Corrado Sommariva Managing Director, Generation Middle East and Main Group Director ILF Consulting Engineers

he energy mix and the negative energy price

As countries globally make a transition to a sustainable energy future, the dynamics of various energy mix are changed and calls for technical solutions that maintain the overall integrity of the energy system are required. Business solutions that ensure that these new sustainable energy concepts are affordable for end users and profitable for the developers of such projects becomes important. With this new energy mix is it possible to have negative energy costs ? With solar farms sprouting in more areas in the GCC and their power getting priority to feed into the grid in many places, the amount of electricity being generated may shortly be 20

outstripping demand during certain hours of the day. This is a situation that is happening already in several countries in Europe where substantial periods with negative electricity prices apply when more supply of energy (mainly from renewable sources such as wind or PV) than demand occur. In the Middle East this may happen typically during a mid-day sun burst and in the winter season when energy demand for air conditioning is low. In this situation, utilities or generators have to shut down certain power generation plants and it is the power sector that looks for consumer rather than consumer looking for electricity. This is a situation where market prices for electricity may go below zero. On the other hand neither traditional oil or gas fired

power plants are designed to be shut down quickly and this operation would be in any case extremely costly and energy inefficient. Alternatively some power plants could be operated at reduced load. However, this mode of operation is generally far from the design best efficiency set up. Energy storage Energy storage is the obvious solution and the energy storage market is stepping up to the challenge. The schematic diagram below shows an overview of the energy storage technology options available. There is a large spectrum of possible technologies that can be in theory be applied but pumped hydro storage is practically the dominant technology worldwide followed by battery

Issue 11 | January 2019

7000

2500

Extra energy availabe by PV panels

2000

5000 1500

4000

Grid demand

3000

1000

SWRO production window 2000

Solar Irradiation w/m2

6000

Power MW

storage. IHA estimates current total installed pumped storage capacity at 150 GW and 100 planned projects will increase the existing global storage capacity by 50%, from 150 GW to almost 225 GW. Battery systems are actually a viable solution to support the introduction of intermittent renewable energy sources but with definitely a smaller scale and with high costs. With the production patterns indicated above potable water can be generated sustainably without increasing GHG emissions from renewable energy but clearly, capacity needs to be structured both in the desalination plant production and in the storage system to enable this opportunistic production pattern.

500 1000

Solar Irradiation 0

0 -1

Hours of the Day Fig 1 : Mode of operation with SWRO opportunistic production

Renewable cooling

This energy is later used during on-peak time. However, also in this case if plants could be designed to take advantage of the surplus grid energy during the peak sunny period taking advantage of the extra power available in the grid, the TES charge could be satisfied with renewable energy and then utilised throughout the rest of the day.

Conclusions The energy revolution will affect all related sectors of the industry including infrastructure and utilities with the potential for synergies that can render the possibility of a renewable water and renewable cooling a reality.

60000

Refrigeration load, TR

Since District Cooling Plants (DCPs) have a potential to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions, GCC countries are continuously shifting paradigm towards adoption of DC plants to satisfy the rapidly growing demand in all sectors. District cooling involves the centralised production and distribution of cooling energy. Cooling equipment requirements vary substantially throughout the day, and throughout the season TES (Thermal Energy Storage) Tank is a thermal accumulator that allows the storage of chilled water or ice produced during off-peak time.

50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0

-10000

Hours Fig 2 : District cooling typical load profile and TES operation (courtesy of Aranex)

TES charge Cooling demand Chiller Output

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

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Governments are doing a lot to control the demand, through awareness, but also need to manage the challenges of supply by looking at renewables and recycling.

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Issue 11 | January 2019

I AM THE SUSTAINABILIST

Fady Juez

Managing Director, Metito What does sustainability mean to you? For me, sustainability is balancing everything. It’s balancing your income with your expenditure, balancing fun and seriousness, food intake, the way you deal with other people -- it’s about balancing everything in your life. Sustainability comes from having a balanced lifestyle from finances to technology, and on top of that, it’s about maintaining the environment around you, so that your children can continue living the same life. For us at Metito, sustainability is about water and energy; they go hand in hand. Because we are true believers in a sustainable water supply, we have to be true believers in renewable energy too. At events like WETEX, for example, we showcase in the solar section, not the water section, because sustainability in water goes hand in hand with renewable energy. To bring safe and cost-effective water to people, renewable energy is at the heart of that, and it’s the future going forward. What, in your opinion, does the rise in renewable energy mean for the oil and gas industry? I believe that crude oil transaction and burning is a waste of money and energy. Oil is rich in many things, you can transform it into everything you see around you, from plastics to biofuels, to petrochemicals -- petrochemicals is a huge growing business today. I don’t think that the industry will take much of a hit as long as it keeps innovating. Humans are increasing in number, everything is

industrialised, their needs are growing, we may even be reaching new frontiers out in the universe. And you need energy and innovation in new kinds of fuels to achieve all of this. So for me, I have a positive outlook. What are your thoughts on cities being on the verge of running out of water or not having access to electricity? We are certainly passing into unprecedented times of climate change and seeing things happen that we’ve never witnessed before in our lifetimes. Temperatures are going up in some places, temperatures are going down in others, there are storms in the desert and droughts in regions that are supposed to have a lot of rainfall. These changes are real, and they are prominent. I think governments should be prepared for that. On the technical side, as you know, sustainable water and energy is about supply and demand. Governments are doing a lot to control the demand, through awareness, but also need to manage the challenges of supply by looking at renewables and recycling. I believe that countries like South Africa, where the city of Cape Town almost ran out of water, should adopt desalination as a back up. Australia built a desalination plant which it has on standby for times of low supply. And the cost of desalination is not as expensive anymore. Power requirements are lower now, and the cost of the equipment is also becoming less. So things are changing, and becoming easier and more accessible for governments to manage.

How are you aligning Metito’s operations with the UAE’s water and energy strategies and what is your vision for implementation? On different levels. On the awareness side of things, we support the initiatives the government is rolling out, for example, DEWA have great initiatives for creating awareness to the consumer, of the cost of water, of the availability of water, the use of water, and we support that through our various communications strategies and press. On an executive level we try to speak to the press as much as we can. That’s one side. Another side, and this is something that I’m passionate about, and we have come a long way in this - recycling and reusing. We invest a lot of money and spend a lot of energy in reducing carbon emissions in the use of water and desalination. Reusing water for boilers, power plants and irrigation. And right now, the GCC countries are way ahead of everyone in terms of reusing and recycling wastewater for those purposes. Now some emirates are using wastewater to recharge aquifers, and then nature brings it back to drinking water level. What are some of the innovations or technological advances in the water and energy sector you’re most excited about? Renewable energy is the single most important part of providing sustainable safe, and cost-effective water. So for us innovations in solar energy are extremely important. We have come a long way. I remember years ago when we started linking solar with desalination - we were thinking about 3 square kilometers for a tiny desalination plant, but the power requirement for desalination when down, and the quality of the solar panels and their absorption increased tremendously, so now you can run entire operations, like a sewage treatment plant with one panel. 23

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

FEATURE

UAE’s Youth Is Going Nuclear

Nuclear power often gets a bad rap, but trying to gain the community’s trust is ENEC, launching various initiatives to educate the UAE’s youth.

he Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and its subsidiaries the Nawah Energy Company (Nawah) and Barakah One Company have launched a Youth Council to inspire, support, and empower the future Emirati leaders of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Industry. Entitled the Barakah Youth Council (BYC), the council will serve as a direct channel of communication between the senior leadership of ENEC, Nawah and Barakah One Company and the organisations’ young Emirati employees. Over, 63% of the 1,400 UAE Nationals 24

employed across all three companies are aged under 30. The council provides these young employees with a voice to champion change and drive continuous improvement while also being involved in the decision-making for ongoing evolution of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program.

leaders of our nation and the growing local nuclear energy sector,” said Eng Mohamed Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of ENEC. “This council operates within the framework of the UAE Centennial 2071 vision and UAE Vision 2021, which aim to ensure that the UAE has the human capital necessary to sustain a world-leading, knowledge based economy.”

“The launch of the Barakah Youth Council forms a part of our commitment to developing our youth and providing them with the skills, expertise and experience to become the future

“The Barakah Youth Council is led by a dynamic and diverse group of young UAE Nationals from across ENEC, Nawah and Barakah One Company. I am proud of their commitment and dedication to our

Issue 11 | January 2019

At the most recent IAEA General Conference held in Vienna in 2018, Eng Al Hammadi updated the attendees on the status of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant project and the ongoing commissioning of Unit 1 of the plant. “The UAE established a peaceful nuclear energy programme to support the achievement of several strategic goals,” said Al Hammadi. “These include diversifying the nation’s economy and energy supply, increasing energy security, enhancing environmental sustainability, and providing talented young UAE Nationals with high-value, rewarding career opportunities.” “The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant Project, the cornerstone of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme, is progressing safely and steadily. However, the success of the UAE’s programme is not only in the delivery of four reactors - it also has a crucial role to play in demonstrating to the world that peaceful nuclear energy can be an engine of growth for a country, and that it is one of the few proven technologies that can power the world in a sustainable, emissions free manner,” he added. Alongside the event, the UAE co-hosted a side-event together with the International Youth Nuclear Congress, an international organisation which aims to promote the role of youth for the future of the nuclear industry. Badreya Almarzooqi, Vice Chairwoman of the recently established Youth Council, presented the ongoing investment ENEC

has made in human capacity development for the success of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme. ENEC also recently supported the first National Nuclear Science for Development Student Competition, launched by the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the IAEA, in cooperation with

“

Peaceful nuclear energy will power the economic and social growth of the nation for decades to come, and developing the nation’s youth to become future leaders of the UAE’s emerging nuclear energy industry is one of ENEC’s most important priorities.

“

Nation and the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, and look forward to working closely with them,” added Eng. Al Hammadi.

the UAE Ministry of Education and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR). The competition aims to encourage UAE students to explore the role of nuclear energy in applications that can serve the community. Over the past year, ENEC has organized a series of school visits, engaging with

more than 450 students from Hunain School, Zayed Al Thani, Hamza Bin AbdulMutalib, Bashair School, and GEMS School. These visits come as a part of ENEC’s ongoing Schools Outreach Program, which focuses on raising awareness and understanding of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, educating students of all ages on how nuclear energy is used, and showcasing the types of career opportunities available across the nuclear industry. “Peaceful nuclear energy will power the economic and social growth of the nation for decades to come, and developing the nation’s youth to become future leaders of the UAE’s emerging nuclear energy industry is one of ENEC’s most important priorities,” said Eng Mohamed Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of ENEC. “Our Schools Outreach Program forms a part of our commitment to the UAE Centennial 2071 vision and the Abu Dhabi Plan, by engaging with communities across the UAE and providing our youth with the information, skills and experience to support their success.” ENEC is responsible for one of the world’s largest new nuclear construction sites, with four Units under development simultaneously. The construction of Unit 1 has been completed in accordance with the highest global standards of quality and safety. As of the end of August 2018, Unit 2 construction completion percentage is now more than 94%, Unit 3 is more than 85%, Unit 4 is more than 76%, and the overall progress rate of Units 1 to 4 is more than 90%. All four units will deliver safe, clean, reliable and efficient electricity to the UAE grid, and prevent the release of more than 21 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year. 25

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

INTERVIEW

From UAE to Oman in an Electric Vehicle

Starting from the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi on January 17, 2019, the Global EVRT event will travel 1,700 kilometres through cities including Muscat, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Khasab, to the eventual finishing line in Dubai a week later on January 24.

f you had any doubts left as to whether EVs could hold their own, then perhaps an epic road trip through the UAE and Oman would help to change your mind. Roadtrippers with the upcoming Global EVRT (Electric Vehicle Road Trip) event, will be taken to deliberately remote locations to prove the electric cars’ practicality, while activities en route will include the world’s longest zip line in RAK and a swimming race to Fujairah’s Snoopy Island. 2018’s event featured electric cars such as the Tesla Model S and X, as well as a regional debut from the Chevrolet Bolt EV.

electric vehicle adoption and the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future. Ben enlightens us at The Sustainabilist about why they’re doing this.

Leading the trip is Ben Pullen, Co-founder and Managing Director of Global EVRT. The organisation’s mission is to accelerate

And to start triggering different questions. All the wild questions like: “Will the car blow up?”, “Will the engine catch fire?”,

How does one go about creating more awareness about EVs in Dubai? We’ve created this fun and engaging event, to try and reach many different stakeholders, government and business - which is key, but also the everyday person - trying to reach people outside of their formal work lives, families, young professionals, kids, etc.

“What happens if I run out of battery?”, “Will the heat affect the battery?”, that people have at the start - we want to fast track the process to a level where people are saying “OK this sounds good. How do I buy one?”, “Do I go for hybrid or electric?”, “How do I get a DEWA charging card?”, “Should I install a charger at home?”. These questions that take us to the next stage. And we feel confident that we can do that, because when people get the opportunity to try these cars, there’s a paradigm shift, and they realise there is a new way. Why EVs? Are we just going to replace fuel cars with electric ones? I will quote Alejandro Agag, the CEO of

Issue 11 | January 2019

the solution isn’t to try and get everybody driving EVs, because then we’d end up with too many cars on the road. Currently there are about 1.25 million cars in Dubai, the population is around 3 million, and certain government entities want to grow that to 5 million within the next five years. If the vehicle stock that we have doubles, and all of those cars are petrol, then that will not be good for Dubai - carbon emissions, air pollution, and so on. So our priority is to accelerate the transition to cleaner mobility, cleaning up the current stock, and at the same time encourage and enable other innovations and technologies. Electric is the foundation for everything else to go forward. The operating costs of EVs are far less than petrol.

Formula E, who put this message across the E-Mobility Conference in London two years ago. He said “Electric Vehicles are the solution, today.” And that’s the message that I really believe in. Yes we are going to innovate into many different directions, and it must go ahead, because

Is the private sector participating in this enough, or at all at this point? The government targets that have been set are a good thing. But there needs to be more from the private sector. And this would create an opportunity. For example Uber announced this week in London that

they’ll be investing 200 million pounds into electric cars, and the way that they will do that, is to charge people more if they use a petrol uber, and they’ll take that extra 15 pence a mile and invest that into EVs. So essentially what Uber’s doing is creating its own economy, and I think there are many opportunities for companies here in the UAE to do it. Careem could do that too. They’ve already taken the step to partner with Tesla, where they have them on the fleet, but they’ll charge a bit more for the Tesla. I think they should go the other way - instead, charge the petrol guys more. It’s an interesting idea of creating one’s own economy - instead of waiting for the government to introduce incentives or taxes, these companies can play with their own margins. You could incentivise your drivers - your captains of Careem to choose an electric car to drive, and you give them more for their journey. That’s just one example. The same can be done with leasing companies and car-sharing companies. But yes, a lot more needs to be done from that side.

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

FEATURE

How To Package Climate Change? How do you position emissions reduction so that the public will bite? We speak to the Regional Director of C40 Cities, Sanjay Sridhar, about how cities like Dubai are rolling out their strategies, and sharing their experiences.

ities are where the future happens first. It is predicted that more than 70% of the world’s population will be living them by the year 2050. And as the population grows, demand for energy, transportation, water, food, and waste removal will be unprecedented. To avoid scrambling for reactionary measures when crises hit, the majority of the world’s leaders have rightly agreed that researching and implementing comprehensive strategies to combat the 28

effects of climate change, immediately, is the way to go. And although each city has its own set of problems, the amount of knowledge and experience that can be shared is vast and valuable, and something that the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group is facilitating. Representing more than 700+ million citizens and one quarter of the global economy, the mayors of the C40 cities are committed to delivering on the most ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement at a local level, as well as cleaning the air we

breathe. Do you speak my language? Because of political priorities -- in other words -- the issues on the radar of political leadership, it sometimes requires ‘climate change’ to be packaged differently in different regions. So, how do you position issues around emissions reduction politically in order to achieve implementation on the ground? As it turns out, one size, does not fit all.

Issue 11 | January 2019

politically relevant, it is more politically important. And therefore the chances of engaging the politicians on their pain points are better.” “Another example of packaging is electric transport - look at electric buses. All leaders and techies want electric buses because it’s cutting edge. But what about public opinion? If you pitch it as something to improve air quality, and public health, everybody will understand. Everybody will agree to invest in it. Because the impact of diesel buses on air quality is scary.” In Dubai, the language use seems to revolve heavily around innovation, being the first and the best. This resonates with its residents who are made up primarily of professionals at the younger end of the spectrum.

“If I go speak to the governor of California or Mayor Sadiq Khan of London, and I speak of climate change mitigation - they know exactly what that means. They’ve been dealing with it and have internalised it into their decision-making. But you go to the chief minister in one of the big states in India or the mayor of Dhaka or mayor of Karachi, their priorities are very different,” explains Sridhar. “Their priorities are about food, clothing and shelter. It’s about mass transit, it’s about providing basic healthcare and education. So, depending on the audience that you speak to, you have to be able to pitch and position this differently. For example you would use ‘risk reduction’ versus ‘emission reduction’. In order to reduce emissions, you have to reduce risk. And your entry point is risk, because it is more easily understood, it is more

“His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum says that Dubai wants to remain Number One. What does that mean?” asks Sridhar, “It means Dubai has to keep innovating and translating that innovation into a livable situation. It’s why people come here to live and work. If it’s not livable, Dubai would lose its edge.” Led by HE Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai, the UAE became a member of C40 in 2015 and has since been able to position itself as a regional leader in sustainable development and green growth. “C40’s work here [in Dubai] is giving Dubai a global platform, showcasing what it has done already, and where it is heading, in terms of energy, transport, water, waste. At the same time it has also given Dubai a shared platform saying

‘we’re’ not the only one facing these problems,” says Sanjay Sridhar, C40 Regional Director of South and West Asia, “There are cities bigger and wealthier than Dubai who face similar challenges but in different contexts, and those lessons are important to be learnt - to be shared from Dubai to the world and from the world to Dubai. It’s a two way street.” To Walk the Walk In a city like Dubai, which politically uses a top-down approach in its strategy implementation, initiatives are first tried and tested in government facilities and then rolled out publically. But can this approach work for other cities? “The solution can be shared, but not the context,” explains Sridhar. “But sharing is important nonetheless. C40 provides Dubai with a platform where they can showcase; this is what we did, this is how we did it, and this is the impact we’re having. This could in theory then be reworked and replicated somewhere else, within a different context.” “Now, I can tell you we are seeing more and more cases where global south cities, from developing countries, are mentoring the global north cities.” “Dhaka has historic knowledge of how to do composting on a city scale, because they’ve been doing it for 25 million people over 50 years. This knowledge is valuable to cities in Europe. Similarly, Johannesburg in South Africa, launched a green bond initiative that the City of Portland in the US wanted to learn from,” continues Sridhar. “It is a two way street. The solutions are replicable and scalable, but the context 29

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

“

All leaders and techies want electric buses because it’s cutting edge. But what about public opinion? If you pitch it as something to improve air quality, and public health, everybody will understand.

“

is not. You have to make it relevant to government structures. That is really really important. There’s a reason why the Masdar concept has never gone out of the UAE. Plugging in C40 also helps Dubai in building a robust set of climate science baselines of data, and linking the per capita emission 30

baseline numbers to livability index. “More people die from bad air quality than from road accidents, did you know that? But people don’t talk about it because the death isn’t immediate. But in sheer numbers, it’s a public health crisis,” says Sridhar. “And transportation causes more than 50% of the bad air quality in most cases.” As an organisation, C40 do not define what each city should work on. Each city chooses what issues it needs to address, and then joins ‘priority networks. For example, Dubai is part of the water and adaptation network, the transportation and mass transit network, and the energy network - both renewable and solar. These networks are made up of cities also addressing these issues. The knowledge sharing then takes place on three levels -- at engineering level, at policy level and at political leadership level.

“We plug into all three levels. So the engineering staff will talk about technical solutions, policy geeks talk about the policy frameworks required, and political leaders talk about how you build public opinion around either for or against particular initiatives,” says Sridhar “But there is a very urgent timeframe right now. The point of no return is upon us, and the global community has to, and is already taking action. I am happy to see that countries like India and China are doing far more work than the US, and they will meet and supersede their commitments in terms of the Paris Accord. And there is going to be a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase Dubai as well.” In conclusion, competition is good. Competition drives innovation, drives ambition, drives commitment. But the case for cross border cooperation and knowledge sharing has been made, and will fuel healthy competition as well.

Issue 11 | January 2019

CENTRE FOLD

Electric Accelerated

The DSCE-backed E-Sayyara Campaign is set to encourage more e-car drivers in Dubai.

s of 2018, Dubai is home to around 200 public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations. In the true spirit of Dubai’s approach to “build it and they will come”, all these charging stations now need is more EV drivers on the road. To raise awareness about this initiative, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy has launched its E-Sayyara campaign to encourage Dubai’s residents to join the

SCAN TO WATCH

LAUNCH VIDEO

‘Drive Clean’ initiative, by using fun, audience segmented marketing to drive the message home. Meaning E-Car in Arabic, the E-Sayyara campaign falls in line with the objectives of Dubai Green Mobility Strategy 2030 which seeks to accelerate the penetration of hybrid and electric vehicles into the transport sector. The Dubai government is taking the lead and has already started implementing it at government level

D R I V E

C L E A N

departments. The DSCE has set a target for government organisations represented in having at least 10% of annual leased or purchased cars to be electric or hybrid, starting from 2016, in order for the penetration of electric and hybrid cars to reach 2% by 2020, and 10% by 2030. Having successfully introduced EVs to Dubai, DEWA offered registered users 31

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

The RTA has also provided incentives for electric vehicles including free assigned parking, exemption from RTA electric vehicle registration and renewal fees, exemption from Salik’s tag fee, and a distinguished license plate for EVs. RTA also plans to transfer 50% of its fleet to hybrid cars by 2021 and operates 50 electric limousines at Dubai International Airport. To create a market for hybrid and electric vehicles with the engagement of the private sector, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy is exploring with car dealers, vehicle manufacturers and banks to offer additional incentives through Green Auto loans and other means. Divided into six consumer categories that highlight each target audience in this nation-wide initiative, the E-Sayyara campaign has a variety of benefits for everyone moving across to an E-Vehicle. The Car Enthusiast, EnvironmentallyWoke and the Tech Geek are just some of the target audiences of the campaign, as well as the Cost Conscious who, for example, can make significant savings on maintenance, fuel and purchasing costs by adopting an E-vehicle. The Mall Hopper, with increased trunk space due to chassis mounted batteries and exclusive parking spots with free charging stations at malls across Dubai is perfect for the run-around-town mum, and the Mileage Maniac is ideal for Dubai to Abu Dhabi commuters. Launched in October 2018 at the World Green Economy Summit, the launch 32

“

The E-Sayyara initiative comes in line with the Dubai Green Mobility Strategy 2030, UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021 which supports the efforts of Dubai emirate to enhance sustainability, air quality and fuel efficiency.

“

free charging for their electric vehicles through DEWA’s Green Charger stations. This will be exclusive to public charging stations.

was attended by His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, His Excellency Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of DSCE and a number of officials from the local department.

“The DSCE and its members have launched several ambitious initiatives and programmes in line with the vision of our wise leadership to make Dubai one of the world’s most sustainable cities,” said His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy. “We have also implemented the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to achieve sustainable development, create a low carbon economy and promote the use of clean energy technologies, including the use of hybrid cars and electric vehicles.” “The E-Sayyara initiative comes in line with the Dubai Green Mobility Strategy 2030, UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021 which supports the efforts of Dubai Emirate to enhance sustainability, air quality and fuel efficiency. It also supports the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy to reduce carbon emissions from transportation sector,” he added. To support the effective implementation of these targets, the DSCE, in partnership with the DEWA, the RTA and Dubai Municipality, launched a number of incentives designed to promote the acquisition of hybrid and electric vehicles to build an awareness aimed at encouraging sustainable green transport. Speaking on the occasion, His Excellency Ahmad Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of DSCE, said, “These incentives coupled with an increase in electric charging stations across Dubai, in malls, hotels, and key tourist locations contributed to a clear increase of e-vehicles on our roads. Dubai has more than 4,000 electric and hybrid vehicles, and we have doubled charging stations, 200 were installed by DEWA, with many more in the plan.”

Issue 11 | January 2019

FEATURE

Fossil Fuels and Renewables in the 21st Century: A Complementary Blend By ENOC

he oil and gas markets that have been the wind in the sails of the Middle East’s economic growth since the mid-1900s are charting a new course. A new era beckons as rising populations and obligations to the Paris Agreement mean an ‘energy basket’ will be the mainstay of the 21st century. A multifaceted energy basket, which utilises both fossil fuels and renewable energy, is a proactive approach to meeting the 54 per cent increase in the Middle

East’s energy consumption that BP Outlook anticipates up to 2040, at an affordable cost. The UAE Energy Strategy 2050 illustrates how the future energy mix will have a low-carbon theme: the country’s ‘basket’ will comprise 38 per cent gas, 44 per cent clean energy, 6 per cent nuclear, and 12 per cent clean coal. Efforts to increase low-carbon and renewable energy growth are wide-ranging, with significant changes already under way. The UAE government aims to invest AED 600 billion by 2050

to meet the growing energy demand and ensure a sustainable growth for the country’s economy, while strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and build a green economy are two threads of the ‘Sustainability’ theme at EXPO 2020 in Dubai. The UAE’s Barakah nuclear power project is another example of the UAE’s pioneering dedication to a low-carbon future – it will be the Middle East’s first nuclear power plant when it starts coming online later this year. But leveraging renewable energy does not translate into fossil fuels being a ‘sunset 33

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

Efficiency ethos gains pace Energy efficiency represents a key release valve on the burgeoning pressure to meet rising demand. Energy intensity – measured as the amount of primary energy demand needed to produce one unit of gross domestic product (GDP) – fell by 1.8 per cent in 2016. Since 2010, intensity has declined at an average rate of 2.1 per cent per year, which is a significant increase from the average rate of 1.3 per cent between 1970 and 2010.

9% 2016

Global investment in energy efficiency grew year-on-year in 2016 by 9 per cent to US$ 231 billion.

The bonus from improved energy intensity – producing more GDP for each unit of energy consumed – was around US$ 2.2 trillion in 2016. This is equal to twice the size of Australia’s economy.

12%

The world would have used 12 per cent more energy in 2016 had it not been for energy efficiency improvements since 2000. This is the equivalent of adding another European Union to the global energy market.

US$ 50bn

Efficiency improvements since 2000 avoided US$ 50 billion in additional spending on energy imports in IEA member countries in 2016. In Japan, for example, oil imports would have been 20 per cent higher and gas imports 23 per cent higher had those efficiency gains not occurred.

2019

A further three to five projects are being added to ENOC’s annual Energy Conservation Business Plan by 2019, with the aim of achieving at least 50 per cent financial savings.

22%

ENOC subsidiary Horizon Terminals has retrofitted more than 150 light fixtures with energy-efficient LED lighting technology and installed variable speed drive (VSD) to replace pumps’ delta start panel. Overall, the project can save US$ 280,000 annually – around 22 per cent of the company’s typical energy bill.

Green Targets The UAE formally ratified the Paris Agreement in September 2016. The Agreement is the world’s most comprehensive deal to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change, and marks the biggest rise in political momentum for positive change since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997. Efforts to pin down the finer details of each country’s commitments are discussed throughout the year and at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held annually in the fourth quarter. Looking ahead, energy companies will have to frequently review their roadmaps to accommodate the increasingly strict rule book.

2°C

Improved energy efficiency will play a vital role in meeting the Paris Agreement’s long-term goal of keeping the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above preindustrial levels.

2016

Progress is under way. The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency said the level of CO2 emissions in the world’s biggest emitting nations either fell or were static in 2016, in large part due to energy efficiency.

28%

The global population will rise to 9.7 billion from today’s 7.6 billion – a 28 per cent climb. Affordably meeting energy demand while hitting low-carbon targets could become harder, not easier. Proactive efforts are vital.

2,100

A Waste Heat Recovery project at the ENOC Refinery saved natural gas consumption equivalent to AED2.7 million a year. Flue gas temperatures were reduced from 250°C to 150°C, ensuring more efficient energy usage over the lifetime of the naphtha hydrotreatment plant. It also includes an annual reduction of CO2 emissions by 10,000 tons, equating to removing 2,100 cars from the roads for one year.

Water scarcity: reversing the narrative Water scarcity has been highlighted by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as one of the greatest global risks to economies, environment and people. Strategies to reuse and recycle water used during operations will increasingly become a priority for energy companies.

12.7bn 14% 60

The planet’s oil wells will produce 12.7 billion gallons a day of water by 2020, according to Total. This equates to an average of three to five barrels of water for every barrel of oil produced. . MENA will have the greatest expected economic losses from climaterelated water scarcity by 2050, at up to 14 per cent of GDP. A member of the ENOC Group, the Dugas Waste Water Treatment project has purified waste water so that it can be used for irrigation. Water saving of more than 26 million litres per year is equivalent to reducing water demand for 60 households in Dubai.

Source: International Energy Agency (IEA), ENOC’s Annual Report 2016, World Bank, United Nations

Issue 11 | January 2019

“It is far too early to write the obituary of oil, as growth for trucks, petrochemicals, shipping and aviation keep pushing demand higher,” said Dr Fatih Birol, the International Energy Agency’s Executive Director. The agency’s World Energy Outlook 2017 report details how oil demand will continue to grow up to 2040, although at a steadily decreasing pace. But other sectors – namely petrochemicals, trucks, aviation and shipping – drive up oil demand to 105 million b/d by 2040. Friends, not foes Renewables will play a complementary, rather than competitive, role to fossil fuels in the foreseeable future. But there is no doubt that energy and economic security in Dubai and beyond relies on the prosperity of both. BP Energy Outlook anticipates that oil and gas together will account for over half of the world’s energy up to 2040, with the Middle East remaining the world’s largest oil producer and the second-largest gas producer. The region will account for over 34 per cent of global liquids production and 20 per cent of gas production by 2040. And non-fossil fuels will account for 8 per cent of the Middle East’s energy consumption in 2040, compared with 1 per cent today. While non-fossil fuels account for a smaller percentage in 2040, the figures still mark a steady growth rate when considering it will require new technologies, policies and a societal shift in the way energy is consumed. It would be a mistake to discount the importance of renewables. Gulf countries’ innovative plans to merge both camps – fossil fuels and

renewables – are already paying off in the field of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies. Projects centred on a winwin scenario are helping reduce emissions and streamline operational costs. The

“

The UAE government aims to invest AED 600 billion by 2050 to meet the growing energy demand and ensure a sustainable growth for the country’s economy.

“

industry’, ready to fade into history books. Oil and gas will remain an integral part of the global energy mix for at least four more decades.

latter is especially pertinent amid today’s lower oil prices. One illustration of how the two camps blend their operations lies to the east. Once fully operational,

Oman’s Miraah solar thermal plant will generate 6,000 tons of steam per day via 36 glasshouses to support state-owned and Shell-led Petroleum Development Oman’s (PDO) existing thermal EOR technology at the Amal field. The US$ 600 million project came online in the last quarter of 2017 and has the potential to make an 80 per cent saving of natural gas at the field. Nurturing talent to drive this new blend of energy innovation in the 21st century will climb higher on energy companies’ agendas. Critical and imaginative thinkers with fluency in the digital tools of the 4th Industrial Revolution will be integral to carving out the new status quo. Mastering the rapidly growing digital tool box – from predictive analytics, big data to artificial intelligence – will be integral to energy companies’ ability to meet rising demand, while streamlining costs and reducing emissions. Efforts to continually enhance human capital also encompass bolstering the rate of nationalisation and supporting entrepreneurs, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). MENA Research Partners (MRP) forecasts that the number of SMEs in the GCC will rise by 156 per cent in the next five years, with the sector worth US$ 920 billion. What strategies will most effectively channel this vast potential of financial and human capital – a core part of Dubai’s growing workforce – towards affordably ensuring energy security? The answer is: collaboration, transparency and innovation will enable energy companies to surf the waves of positive change, rather than be submerged by them. A proactive approach is crucial. As best said by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai: “Opportunities are made. They do not just lie around waiting for someone to grab them.” 35

shutterstock.com

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

FEATURE

Pulling Power With an estimated US$2.4 trillion of projects planned across the GCC, the region still offers abundant opportunities as governments seek to develop infrastructure to meet the needs of rapidly expanding populations, and to deliver economic diversification.

hile the need for infrastructure has never diminished, the crash in oil prices from 2014 to 2016 has spurred major changes in the market. The value of contract awards has fallen by about US$180 billion a year in 2016 and 2017. And this reduced level of awards is set to continue in 2018 and 2019. Despite this, the region still offers some of the best project opportunities in the world, according to MEED, the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business intelligence platform. The need for infrastructure and economic 36

diversification is greater than ever. And, as home to some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wealthiest countries, the financial muscle is available to meet these needs and the recovery in oil prices and economic growth in 2018 has seen the conditions for projects improving. Power is one of the most active segments of the MENA projects market. Governments across the region have made investing in generation capacity and transmission and distribution networks a priority in order to meet the demands of population growth and industrial and economic expansion, as well

as the increasing need to replace ageing infrastructure. Installed generation capacity in the MENA region reached 363.9GW at the end of 2017, a rise of 5.4 per cent over 2016. Based on current plans, electricity generation capacity is expected to rise at 6.2 per cent a year to reach about 547GW of installed capacity by 2025. New Data According to the newly released MENA Power Sector Outlook 2018 report from MEED, about US$772bn worth of power

Issue 11 | January 2019

Natural gas will remain the dominant source of energy for the region as it is cleaner and more efficient than conventional fuel oil and will protect oil reserves for export. But producing enough natural gas is a challenge for the region and sourcing new gas supplies is a priority. To reduce dependence on uncertain gas supplies and increase energy security, diversification of the energy mix is high on the agenda. At the same time, sustainability and energy efficiency have become powerful forces behind shifts in policy such as the removal of energy subsidies that have kept energy and water tariffs artificially low. Alternative schemes Together, these drivers have led to a raft of renewable and alternative energy projects. Most counties have set ambitious targets for the proportion of energy they receive from alternative sources. The UAE, for example, aims to generate 50 per cent of its energy from clean sources by 2050, up from almost zero today. Riyadh has plans to install 9.5GW of new renewable energy generation capacity by 2023. Renewable energy represented about

7 per cent of total Mena electricity generation capacity in 2017. The majority of installed renewable capacity comes from hydroelectric power, at 19GW or 83 per cent of the total. By 2025, solar power is forecast to account for the biggest share of renewable power.

“

Natural gas will remain the dominant source of energy for the region as it is cleaner and more efficient than conventional fuel oil and will protect oil reserves for export.

“

generation and transmission projects are planned or under way in the region. And while the fall in oil prices in 2014 led to a scaling back or cancelling of many projects, investment in the power sector has continued – a healthy US29.4bnworth of power contracts were awarded in 2017. However, in parallel to the capital investment drive, important changes are underway. In the past three years, the region has embarked on energy reforms that are creating new opportunities and challenges.

Overall, there is more than 60GW of renewable energy projects at the design and study stages, of which about 23.1GW originates from independent power plants (IPPs).

Feed-in tariffs The introduction of feed-in tariffs, where governments pay producers to supply additional power to national grids, has played a major role in creating and growing the market for renewable energy in the MENA region. Establishing national agencies to promote renewable technologies has also gone a long way in supporting market growth. Several governments in the MENA region are also developing nuclear power programmes. Abu Dhabi is scheduled to bring the region’s first nuclear plant on stream in 2019 and the country expects to have four commercial nuclear reactors online before 2020. The King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy in Saudi Arabia is also planning to construct 16 nuclear reactors by 2040, and Jordan and Egypt have signed deals with Russia’s Rosatom to build nuclear reactors. Procurement changes Procurement models are changing, too. Many governments are turning to private-sector financing models such as IPPs and independent water and power projects (IWPP) to produce affordable electricity on a commercial scale. The planned pipeline of IPPs and IWPPs will deliver additional power generation capacity of about 58.3GW from 2018– 2025. Middle East & North Africa Power Outlook 2018 provides a comprehensive country-by-country review of the Mena power sector with in-depth analysis on supply and demand, projected investment levels, the role of the private sector and the search for alternative energy. 37

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

SCHOOL

Drop by Drop By Ben Cooper Primary Assistant Principal, GEMS Wellington Al Khail

t GEMS Wellington Al Khail, we aim to become eco-warriors and a part of this role we have a big focus on saving water and protecting our water from pollution. Did you know it takes at least as much (and often much more) water to make a water bottle as the drinking water it holds? Not only this, but our oceans are full of tiny particles of plastic coming from disposable plastic bottles. These particles contaminate fish which then end up inside us when we eat them. The UAE is one of the highest users of plastic water bottles in the world and only

6% of bottles here are ever recycled. Our school aims to create awareness to stop this.

food. Traditional farming needs a vast amount of water to support the rapid plant growth needed.

We have teamed up with The Simply Bottles Campaign to help reduce the amount of plastic pollution and manage the waste in the UAE. This beneficial campaign collects the bottles and then breaks them down, turning them into t-shirts to reuse again, instead of them ending up in our oceans and waterways.

Hydroponics reduce the amount of water needed by 70%. This makes growing large amount of crops far more sustainable. Our children have the unique opportunity to learn about hydroponic farming, starting from our Foundation Stage to ensure they develop a strong knowledge of what we can do to ensure water is used wisely and not wasted. This falls in line with the UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to hydroponic farming where you will now find over a thousand hydroponic farms across the Emirates, most of them built on arid desert land.

So far we have recycled 1000s of bottles in a short space of time. Children collect bottles they use at school and the home, and ensure they are recycled. Parents are also on board too and bring their recyclable plastic for us to take care of. As a school we have duty to support and educate our community. Education and innovation are key to a sustainable future, which is why at GEMS Wellington Al Khail, we have installed over 25 Hydroponic farming systems in

Our sustainable approach to water consumption and education will ensure our children have the passion, skills and commitment needed to change and lead the world for the better. 2018 is the Year of Zayed, who himself had a vision of a sustainable future. WEK shares this vision and strives to making it become a reality!

Issue 11 | January 2019

TOP TIPS

Save your Energy!

Computer power management Employees use their laptops for 8+ hours daily and providing them with energy-efficient laptops will decrease both electricity costs and CO2 emissions.

Print only when necessary Avoid printing whenever possible. This will not only reduce paper wastage, but also cut the total amount of energy consumed by the printer.

Install solar panels to reduce your electricity bills. Solar energy is a free, clean and renewable source of energy. The payback on initial investment can be recovered by utilising solar energy at full capacity.

Historical usage data analysis Analysing energy consumption patterns is critical and can reveal energy usage patterns that can help reduce costs and utilisation.

Replacing lighting equipment Evaluate new technologies but ensure that light levels will remain at adequate levels before changing or replacing them with LEDs. 39

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

FEATURE

Stepping Into the (Job) Shadow INJAZ UAE is responding to the UAE’s economic goal of developing and strengthening its human resources and supporting the national workforce in entering the private sector successfully.

idespread mismatches between skills available and those demanded by the private sector are feeding current youth employment challenges. Research shows that fewer than one third of young adults possess

basic financial literacy skills. Teaching young people about responsible money management is key to building their own financial security and an economically prosperous future for themselves, but also for the economies in which they participate.

Responding to the UAE’s economic goal of developing and strengthening its human resources and supporting the national workforce in entering the private sector successfully, is INJAZ UAE, the regional not-for-profit, and part of one of the world’s largest non-profit

Issue 11 | January 2019

business education organisations, Junior Achievement Worldwide (JAW). INJAZ UAE recently celebrated the 9th Company Programme competition, where 10 teams from schools across the UAE turned classrooms into real startup environments. With guidance from volunteer mentors, the program provided students the opportunity to startup, organize and operate actual enterprising companies to learn about real life business processes and functions. Over 300 students from four schools and two universities in the UAE participated in the innovation day camp iCamp and Job Shadow Day programme hosted by Injaz UAE and longtime partner Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML). The Job Shadow Day programmes are day-long workshops which allow students to explore various career options. Students from Al Khaleej National School, Dubai National School, Al Ittihad Private School, International School of Arts and Science, American College of Dubai and Jumeirah University attended five iCamp workshops run by volunteers from BAML. Talking about his experience at the workshop, Suleiman Naushad, a student from American College of Dubai, said: “The Injaz workshop helped inform us about practical problem-solving skills necessary in the workplace and how best to provide constructive ideas within a competitive environment. We learned why teamwork is essential in a successful organisation as well as the importance of accepting and working with diverse ideas in a way that best serves the business.” The workshops introduced students to various aspects of entrepreneurship through practical activities overseen by

corporate mentors. Mentors from BAML shared their experience with the students, giving them an opportunity to learn about professional skills required in the industry which also contribute towards greater economic competitiveness and growth. Razan Bashiti, acting CEO of INJAZ UAE, said: “By investing in the youth through our combined expertise, not only are we preparing them for their own economic independence, but also providing them with an understanding of the world of work and the spirit of entrepreneurship through the principle of learning by doing.”

Greg Rung, Partner at Oliver Wyman, joined INJAZ UAE as a board member to aid with setting the ambition of the organisation, strategic direction and building partner relations. Oliver Wyman also aims to drive change through the development of a set of 15 strategic initiatives with the Board to accomplish its ambition of 30,000 students reached by 2022. “At INJAZ UAE, we are dedicated to giving students the knowledge and skills they require to shape their professional future and make smarter academic and economic choices,” said Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of INJAZ UAE.

Arshad Ghafur, President, Middle East and North Africa for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said: “We firmly believe that investing in students who aspire to be professionals in the corporate world is fundamental to future economic growth in the Middle East. Working with organisations such as INJAZ allows us to combine our employees’ time with financial support and provide the knowledge and inspiration that will help young people transition from education into sustained employment.”

“We are delighted to partner with Oliver Wyman, as we look to support the UAE vision of youth empowerment through our world-class initiatives where our programs help spark learning in the youth to experience the opportunities and realities of the global professional network in the world that we live in today. The UAE chapter of INJAZ and Oliver Wyman will work hard in achieving the goal of the wider INJAZ Al-Arab’s team of reaching 1 million students by 2022.”

Set up during the educational year 2017-2018, the iCamp & Job Shadow Day programme are part of a host of professional development programme offered by INJAZ UAE that aims to teach students a variety of skills needed for the workplace.

“This collaboration comes at a time where regional governments and private companies are offering increasing support to their youth through dedicated programmes and strategic visions of empowering them. Youth employment and expansion of the private sector in the GCC are two drivers towards a healthy, diversified economy. Through their commendable programs and initiatives, INJAZ UAE is able to educate students on entrepreneurship and work readiness in a truly fun way,” Greg Rung said.

INJAZ UAE is also set to leverage the expertise of Oliver Wyman, a global management consultancy, in driving significant value for the youth empowerment agenda in the UAE and wider Middle East.

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

INTERVIEW

www.e-control.at

Austria: A Vision for 100% Renewables

In 2018 the Austrian government unveiled its new energy and climate strategy, aiming to meet European Union set CO2 emissions goals by 2030. The Sustainabilist talks to Dr. Michael Losch, Director General for Energy and Mining in the Austrian Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism about Austriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategies and innovations.

ustria already has a balance of 72% renewables thanks to hydropower. What is your strategy for growing the market for electricity and storage? One of the main challenges in integrating the intermittent or variable renewables, in particular solar and wind, is, on the one hand a good functioning market and on the other side is to develop storage solutions. For example, the UAE has set a target to meet 44% of its energy from renewables 42

by 2050. Right now the percentage is still small, and of course itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a problem for the system if you only have 1%, 5% or even 10% renewables, but if you enter stages where you want to achieve up to 50% renewables or more, then storage becomes an issue. Europe is striving for more than 55% renewables by 2030. That means we have to really rethink the coordination of electricity market. The Austrian government has set itself the objective

of covering 100% of the total national electricity consumption from renewable energy sources by 2030. This means developing all renewable energy sources. Much of this energy will be produced by decentral photovoltaic plants, and by developing wind power, hydroelectric power and others. So one reason why Austria already has such a high renewable share, is of course hydropower. We also have pumped storage plants with a size of 8.4 GW,

Issue 11 | January 2019

compared to the peak demand in Austria, of 9 GW. So in theory our pumped storage plants already have the capacity to meet the demand of Austria. But still, because we have a seasonal pattern, storage is needed in order to make increased use of energy. The Austria government also aims to boost electrochemical storage, which can be positioned as large or small scale storage units, at the upper and lowest network levels in the electricity system. The government also plans to reward storage facilities for supporting the system. Austria has the capacity to build innovative storage and integrate renewable energy sources. Pumped storage facilities, gas transmission systems and future innovative storage technologies offer an added potential in terms of integration of renewables into the Austrian and EU energy market. During his visit to Dubai, former French president, Francois Hollande expressed his support for France’s nuclear programme, saying that France would continue to rely on nuclear energy for the foreseeable future. What is your position? Austria has a very clear opinion. There was a trial nuclear plant constructed in the 70s, but it was never put into operation, because there was a referendum and the majority of Austrians were against nuclear. We just considered the safety risks. We’ve had Chernobyl and Fukushima, and moreover, the waste treatment problem, and also the dismantling. These sites will be polluted for thousands of years. So for us it’s a no-go. But of course we respect that there are different choices in the world, and there are many states in Europe who do not have the hydropower resources, as we do in Austria, and so we

respect it. But we are very concerned about safety and waste, and also concerned in Europe that there is no undue or unfair state subsidy support for nuclear, because that would really make a problem for the competitiveness of the renewables. In Europe we have a very strict competition and market system amongst the EU. What is Austria’s vision for boosting non-fossil fuels, especially hydrogen, making it appealing to investors? Austria is of the opinion that hydrogen should be brought under the Natural Gas Tax Act and afforded tax relief. The same should apply to biogas. Hydrogen is one of the most promising solutions to energy transportation and storage problems. For example, gas can be stored in large quantities and therefore used flexibly, at any given time. Austria is focused on promoting multilateral frameworks and standards to boost hydrogen technology in a diverse portfolio of sectors. What does the rise in renewables mean for oil and gas companies like OMV? There will be a need for integration. But firstly we would like to phase out oil and coal for electricity production, but also in the areas of transport - as ambitious as possible. So there will be many opportunities for companies such as OMV, who have a large partnership with the UAE, and we would also expect that companies like OMV promoting the idea of green hydrogen, and using synergies between the gas system and the renewable system. And if we can make the gas more green and renewable, also with biogas for example. The State Secretary of Morocco has explained that the city of Fes, has 100% electricity production from biogas, and this is fantastic.

Austria’s Energy Ambitions

100%

Plans to cover

of total national electricity consumption from renewables by 2030

72%

Already has a balance of

Austria’s pumped storage plant capacity currently sits at

8.4 GW Plans on

100,000 roof-mounted photovoltaics and small-scale storage

Austria’s photovoltaic capacity currently sits at

1.269 MV 43

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

CASE STUDY

Stronger and WiSER Recognising the pivotal role women play in advancing sustainable development, Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s Future Energy Company, has launched the Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) Pioneers Programme.

ith the world’s population expected to reach nine billion by 2050, women, who account for more than half of the world’s population, are critical to pioneering new technologies and driving commercial solutions. However, traditionally the opportunities for women for overall economic growth have lagged behind men in most countries. Recognising the pivotal role women play in advancing sustainable development, Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s Future Energy Company, has launched the Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) Pioneers Programme, a year-round agenda aimed at nurturing young women aged 20-30 44

into the next generation of sustainability leaders through proactive engagement with policy makers, industry leaders, technical experts, entrepreneurs and community figures. The announcement was made at the second edition of the Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The WISER Pioneers Programme, involving access to bespoke educational workshops, global networking events, and highly sought-after professional internships, will formally begin at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, one of the

world’s largest sustainability gatherings, which takes place next year from January 12-19. “The year-long WiSER Pioneers Programme will make a valuable contribution in this regard by promoting training, experience and networking opportunities for selected cohorts of talented young women,” says Dr Lamya Nawaf Fawwaz, Executive Director for Brand & Strategic Initiatives at Masdar and Director of WiSER. “The Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations, with its inspiring focus on catalyzing the energy and potential of young people, was the ideal stage to announce the programme’s roll-out at ADSW 2019.” The WiSER Pioneers Programme

Issue 11 | January 2019

is aligned with Goal 5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the UAE National Agenda 2021 and the Centennial Plan 2017, which together advocate gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

from the start. We have witnessed women emerge as entrepreneurs and community leaders – while transforming their communities as they expand access to clean and sustainable energy,” she adds.

The programme is one component of the Masdar-led WiSER platform unveiled at the 70th United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2015. Masdar and the Zayed Future Energy Prize established the platform to empower and inspire women to be catalysts of innovation and the drivers of commercial solutions that will address climate change and the secure access of food, energy and water.

It is a known fact that climate change disproportionately affects women. This is especially true in developing countries that, ironically, have contributed minimally to global emissions, yet experience its greatest impact. Dependent on natural resources for survival, women in these regions have primary family and community responsibility for accessing water, food and energy. As drought, uncertain rainfall, and deforestation compromise their families’ security, they are becoming critical partners and leaders in finding solutions to sustainable development.

“There have already been several WiSER forums held across the world to promote the role women play in industries related to sustainability and clean technologies. These forums provide a platform for free and open dialogue, where women in the industry can engage with each other on issues of career and corporate mobility, gender equality, and entrepreneurship,” says Dr Nawal Al-Hosany, Director of Sustainability at Masdar and Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize. WiSER also serves as a pathway for women to gain real-world experience and to build the right skills necessary to be entrepreneurial leaders of industry, and excel in the new emerging fields of renewable energy and sustainability. “Our success in engaging women globally through successful initiatives such as the Zayed Future Energy Prize, demonstrates that women thrive when presented with opportunities to participate in new renewable energy companies and technologies

“To overcome the challenges posed by uneven energy access, accelerated and sustainable economic growth, and climate change, women must occupy more roles in government, engineering, media, politics and science. Your interest, support and engagement in WiSER will help give a pulse to our mission, and I urge you to join us as we expand this important initiative,” says Dr Al-Hosany. Held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations welcomed thousands of university students and recent graduates. Senior managers from Masdar’s clean energy division presented on the company’s global renewable energy project portfolio, its role in building

the UAE knowledge economy, and the potential career pathways for young graduates and school-leavers aspiring to work in the sustainability sector. Four members of the Masdar Emerging Leaders Programme, an in-house Masdar initiative aimed at accelerating the professional development of young UAE national employees, also spoke on their first-hand experiences and gave helpful advice to the event’s young audience. The Youth 4 Sustainability Hub comprising the Climate Innovation Exchange Platform (CLIX) and the Student Exclusive Ambassadors Programme will ensure that youth empowerment and job skills of the future are centre stage at ADSW 2019. Bringing together young entrepreneurs, investors and industry mentors, CLIX resulted in funding pledges exceeding US$17.5 million for sustainabilitythemed business ideas and innovations at its inaugural event in 2018. The Student Exclusive Ambassadors Programme, meanwhile, has successfully grown into a year-round programme of community engagement and educational outreach on sustainability awareness and best practice. “Officially beginning at ADSW 2019, the WiSER Pioneers Programme will integrate seamlessly with a range of UAE-based initiatives that are already achieving significant impacts in terms of providing young people with access to mentorship, funding and career guidance, while further enhancing their contribution to the empowerment of women,” Dr Fawwaz added. 45

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

INNOVATION

Green Design for a Healthy Mind Research suggests that access to green urban space significantly improves physical and mental health.

lobal studies have indicated that people live happier and healthier lives when they have access to green spaces. When planning a city, it is vital for the well-being of its urban inhabitants to be able to relax and unwind in a tranquil environment. In an article by Environmental Science researcher Jenny Roe described the benefits of such nature-friendly living habitats. “Pathways linking urban green space 46

with mental well-being include the ability of natural stimuli – trees, water, light patterns – to promote ‘involuntary attention’ allowing the brain to disengage and recover from cognitive fatigue.” In other words, it allows the mind to unwind, relax and recuperate from the stresses of daily life in a fast-paced city. It is, therefore, important for large city developers to offer living communities that are designed with panoramic views and access to open green spaces.The view from your window is particularly important; according to studies it can affect both

one’s physical and mental health. Research conducted by the Human Environment Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois showed that people who live in apartments with views of trees and grass, even from a distance, reported being healthier, less aggressive and more productive than those who had views of alleyways and concrete. The survey was conducted in a large housing area of Chicago, IL - US, however the practical applications are relevant to urban planning of Dubai, which has a virtually identical size of population. Community landscaping is often an overlooked part of residential

rd 2019 Issue October 2017 Issue 0111 | |23January

concentration and productivity, it can help maintain good health and even cure certain medical ailments. North Carolina State University reports that natural light has a number of benefits: it boosts your bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vitamin D storage; leads to higher productivity; benefits vision; helps you sleep; and improves your mood. A lot has been written about the vision of the UAE, the Year of Zayed and

associated plans to create a sustainable environment, where nature and humanity co-exist in harmony. The conclusion is that intelligent apartment design that is constructed within well-planned urban green communities helps people to lead a healthier and happier existence. The goal of bringing that vision to life is very heavily dependent on home-grown property developers, who need to shift their focus to providing tranquil oases for the residents of UAE.

developments as well; allocating large portions of the territory to parks, lawns, pools and fountains is seldom high on the priority list, due to low direct financial returns of these amenities. With this said, there is a clear benefit to developers and owners in creating a desirable location where people want to live and are generally happy residents. This, in turn, boosts the economic and social value of the project, can deliver a greater return on investment and has the added benefit for residents in constructing an environment that improves wellbeing and contributes towards a thriving, happy community. In terms of living space lighting, floor-toceiling windows in an apartment provide a much brighter and airier environment. Natural light has been linked to improved 47

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

CASE STUDY

FEATURE

Going the Extra Mile

Dulsco, the human resource solutions and waste management services company is making strides in its CSR programmes and initiatives.

ulsco, a regional leader in people solutions and environmental solutions, teamed up as the green partner at the ‘Emirates Kids Marathon’ that was conducted by the UAE Athletic Federation recently. The fun-filled yet educational event was held at Dubai’s Al Mamzar Park to mark International Children’s Day. The marathon was held under the auspices of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council. Dulsco ensured that the venue 48

was back to being clean and green after the event. The bottles collected were water bottles and juice bottles, apart from tetrapack and aluminum cans. The Emirates Kids Marathon is an innovative initiative for the children to lead a healthy life. It was a fun filled day with many activities and games, for the children between the age of 5 - 13. The event encouraged children to be healthy as well to participate in various sporting activities. The main theme of the marathon dealt with fighting obesity. During the marathon, Dulsco aimed

to inculcate a behavioural change in the children, visitors and spectators on reducing and recycling of waste especially, plastic water bottles by putting it inside the green bin. Dulsco had placed more than 125 green bins for collecting recyclables. As the green partner at the event, Dulsco collected 24,400 plastic bottles, 9,400 tetrapack and aluminum cans at the event. “It is important that we tap the potential of the younger generation at an early stage to make an everlasting impact on the planet. The onus lies with corporates like us, parents and schools, who can encourage

Issue 11 | January 2019

Dulsco also joined hundreds of volunteers in the first large scale clean-up of Umm Suqeim Open Beach last month. Organised by Action sport brand XDubai and Dubai Film, scores of people took to Umm Suqeim Open Beach in Dubai at 6am to lead the beach clean-up of litter and plastics, sorting it for eventual recycling by Dubai Municipality. The event also included over 40 divers who, led by dive shop Divers Down, participated in a coastal water clean-up as well as team of snorkelers who managed the in-water clean-up closer to shore. Thanks to their efforts over 60kg of onand off-shore rubbish was cleared from the beach and water. Participants in the Dubai event joined millions of people in over 150 countries worldwide who participated in activities to commemorate the tenth annual World Clean Up Day by ridding the planet of trash – cleaning up litter and mismanaged waste from beaches, rivers, forests, and streets. As the beaches of the emirate are regularly cleaned by Dubai Municipality, the event was as much about raising awareness and educating the community – particularly future generations – on the impact of littering and plastic waste, and the importance of keeping the environment and beaches clean, as it was about cleaning the UAE shoreline. “Oceans make up 70 per cent of the earth’s surface and 97 per cent of our water. Today may seem like one small

gesture but when you think that today’s volunteers are amongst millions taking action globally on World Clean Up Day, it really does show the power of small actions and working together to clean such a vital part of life, the ocean,” said Natalie Banks, Manager of Azraq, a non-profit marine conservation organisation registered with the Community Development Authority, who also took part in the cleanup. “While Dubai may not have some of the issues that we have seen in other parts of the world, it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that our coastal areas and water remain clean from all rubbish, from large scale waste, to plastics to cigarette butts and everything in between,” added Banks. It’s initiatives such as these that has led Dulsco to being recognised for their CSR activities. In September, the company also recently received the CSR Label from Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in recognition of its efforts in corporate social responsibility and sustainability in an awards ceremony in September. The award recognises companies that implement outstanding CSR and sustainability practices in the GCC region, doubling as a framework to inspire establishments across the region to develop and amplify their sustainability and responsibility strategies. The Label covers the main impact areas of Sustainability and CSR: Environment, Community, Workplace, and Marketplace. David Stockton, Dulsco’s CEO and Managing Director said “Dulsco has always been a sustainability leader in its own right. Our CSR programme has accomplished more than 860 volunteering hours for 32 different CSR

“

It is important that we tap the potential of the younger generation at an early stage to make an everlasting impact on the planet.

“

these young minds to initiate such waste recycling initiatives in the future,” said Sreeram Madhumohan, Chief Innovation Officer at Dulsco.

activities in 2018. Our greatest weapon to achieve this feat has always been our employees; Dulsco has a diverse workforce comprising professionals and experts from 55 different nationalities, and we are committed to promoting open communication and encouraging feedback as a means to empower our employees, in addition to providing welfare and sport activities for them.” Dulsco was one of 18 companies recognised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2018. Since its launch, the Dubai Chamber CSR Label has provided a Diagnostic Model and an instrument to help companies of all sizes and sectors define and improve their corporate sustainability and responsibility strategies, policies, and management practices. 49

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

INTERVIEW

All Roads Lead to a Circular Economy Impact investing, trickle down strategies and generating your own power. It’s all part of a continuous effort to achieving sustainability.

hen it comes to sustainable development goals, laying them out is task in itself, but achieving them is another story. In late 2018, The Sustainabilist sat down with Dr Iyad Abumoghli, Principal Policy Advisor at United Nations Environment, to talk finances, strategy and infrastructure for a sustainable future.

Off the back of the UN launching its Positive Impact Initiative, which explores solutions to the financing gap for sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is a clear indication that the world’s investors are turning their eyes to the planet’s more pressing problems, Dr Abumoghli tells us more.

What’s the significance of impact investing, and is the concept growing in popularity? Impact investing is a new concept. And the adoption of it by companies and industries and investment bodies is actually gaining momentum. In general, impact investing is adopting the principles of charity, which is giving back to the society, as well

Impact Investment

Impact Investing Continuum

Maximize shareholder return regardless of the effects on employees, environement and community

Tilthing Business

Impact Company

Owners contribute some profits to charity, but there is nothin inherently missional about the business activities

Business that seeks a positive social and spiritual impact along with financial profit

For-profit earnings distributed to owners Market rate risk adjusted financial return

Impact Investing Sweet Spot

Charity Enterprise Charity with a rtevenue model to fund and carry out its mission

Donation-Funded Charity Focused solely on its mission and funded only with donations

Mission Only

Profit Only

Business with Profit Motive Only

Non profit earnings reinvented in the enterprise Positive social and spiritual impact

Issue 11 | January 2019

At the same time, it should also target the people. What is this industry that we’re investing in for? Is it just for consumption? Or is it to improve people’s lives, and provide better livelihoods, and better opportunities and develop the aspirations of the people? The innovative ideas that take into consideration all three P’s - People, Planet and Profit, constitute positive impact investment. Encouraging this way of thinking and investing surely needs a larger strategy. How does impact investing inform a strategy for a sustainable economy particularly here in the MENA region? In the region there are some good initiatives that are not only being thought of as small initiatives but also as policy strategies. For example in a number of countries like the UAE, Jordan and Lebanon, we have been working on their Green Economy strategies. These strategies employ and adopt a new paradigm of thinking -- one of economic development that does not have to be brown economy - that is only about extracting resources, and making money. We have identified what high-impact sectors can benefit from a green economy. For example, the transportation sector - this sector has a lot of potential to be sustainable, not only in terms of vehicles, but also thinking about it on a wider level, where you are able to minimise the need to

commute from home to work. Tourism and agriculture are also examples. But implementing the strategies is the challenge. For example, one of the challenges is to encourage the private sector to become part of the equation, so it’s not only a governmental policy, but it’s a policy for the whole country. Another challenge is integrating resources. The middle east has good resources -- natural,

“

In the region there are some good initiatives that are not only being thought of as small initiatives but also as policy strategies.

“

as adopting business principles which is making profit. As with any business, the objective is to make profit. Above and beyond that, impact investing also integrates principles of what we call the circular economy. Meaning you have to think of the production and consumption system as a cycle of life.

human and financial, but the integration or collaboration is lacking to an extent. If you could merge all three resources, you would make the region self-sustaining. The strategies are there, but the pace of applying these new economic paradigms in the Middle East is in its infancy and needs acceleration. We also need to scale up. Initiatives here and there will not solve our problems. We need these green initiatives to become mainstream and become part of our adopted policies and strategies for the entire region. How can companies and organisations within the private sector become more involved and also be held accountable? In Tunisia, sustainable development is written into the constitution, it has become part of the legal framework of companies and individuals. In Denmark, companies are required to hand over their

sustainability reports to the government. And what I mean by sustainability report, I don’t mean a little charity programme of donating to a school or planting trees. Sustainability reports aren’t what they used to be. Today these reports have to have a strategy allocated in their budget, indicating the integration of the cost of the environment into their production system - How much water they have consumed, how much wastewater was generated, how much carbon dioxide was generated, and what was done to clean or mitigate these? What does the future look like, as we progress? In your opinion, will we see more of a return to nature, or will we become a sort of hyper-humanity with technology driving all? We can employ innovative technologies and advances but we can also remain within the boundaries of our planet. Maybe I wish to have a hyper-society that is technologically based, but that is also in harmony with nature. One of them is not enough. Why not apply all the technological advances but in harmony with nature? For example the House of My Dreams. This house employs all the technological innovations. It is a smart house, using the internet. It tells you when your vegetables are about to go bad. You generate your own electricity from solar. You collect the rain and use it for washing or planting. You produce your own vegetables - at least the basic vegetables that you consume on a daily basis - tomatoes, cucumber etc. you also contribute to the neighbourhood - because if you produce energy, you have surplus of energy - either you sell it to the national grids, or you sell it to your neighbours. This creates a system of trading within the neighbourhood, which doesn’t require a system or institutions to manage. And this is all part of a city that does the same. 51

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

RESEARCH

Go Solar!

DESCRIPTION Solar Panels

kWp

BENCHMARK COSTS 5,110

31%

On Grid Inverter

2,900

Mounting Structure

1,200

Cables, Switch gear and Connectors

2,240

Installation, Commissioning, Approval and Project Management

4.5

Solar On-Grid Rooftop Project

Total [AED]

16,650

Price /kWp

3,700

Solar Panels

Installation, Commissioning, Approval and Project Management

14% 5,200

31%

Cables, Switch gear and Connectors

7% Mounting Structure

17% On Grid Inverter

Issue 11 | January 2019

100

Solar On-Grid Rooftop Project

DESCRIPTION

BENCHMARK COSTS

Solar Panels

115,988

On Grid Inverter

38,000

Mounting Structure

24,500

Cables, hSwitch gear and Connectors Installation, Commissioning, Approval and Project Management Total [AED] Price /kWp

kWp

31%

28%

Solar Panels

Installation, Commissioning, Approval and Project Management

90,012

101,500 370,000 3,700

24% Cables, Switch gear and Connectors

10% On Grid Inverter

Mounting Structure

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

FEATURE

Targeting Zero: A Vision for Future Cities Experts in Dubai are highlighting the urgent need to plan for net zero cities.

here is no doubt that Dubai is blazing a new path for cities in the UAE by calling attention to energy consumption in urban buildings and highlighting lag in the efficient collection and analysis of data available to benchmark usage rates and measure progress. With buildings accounting for 70-80% of energy consumption in the UAE, this fact underscores the importance of targeting building energy use as a key to decreasing the nation’s energy consumption. The building sector can significantly reduce energy use by incorporating energy-efficient strategies into the design, construction, and operation of new buildings and undertaking retrofits to improve the efficiency of existing buildings. It can further reduce

dependence on fossil fuel-derived energy by increasing use of on-site and off-site renewable energy sources. The concept of a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB), one which produces as much energy as it uses over the course of a year, has slowly been evolving from research to reality. Currently, there are only a small number of highly efficient buildings around the world that meet the criteria to be called “Net Zero”. But, as a result of advances in construction technologies, renewable energy systems, and academic research, creating Net Zero Energy buildings is becoming more and more feasible. In 2016, Dubai joined the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA), a global network of cities led by WRI Ross Center for Sustainable

Cities, and proposed a new policy on energy performance labels for existing buildings. The city government launched a pilot project in February 2017, led by the Emirates GBC and the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, to measure the performance of 100 buildings, in three focus groups: hotels, schools and shopping malls. In 2018, Emirates GBC officially started inviting schools in Dubai to participate in the project. “Benchmarking is an important step for schools to evaluate their energy and water usage,” said Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC. “It enables the sector to make decisions backed by solid data on how to improve their consumption rates and track their progress. Energy and water management are inherently embedded into the core of green schools, and today, a very limited number of schools fulfil the requirements to be sustainable. Educational institutions are a priority sector and we therefore encourage all schools in Dubai to participate in the BEA benchmarking project and become leaders, and advocates, in the drive for sustainable development in the UAE.” In October 2018 the Emirates Green Building Council urged entities regionwide to commit to net zero carbon buildings at the annual Emirates GBC Congress. Speaking at the congress Al Abbar said: “The Congress this year is by

rd 2019 | January October 2017 Issue 01Issue | 2311

Advancing Net Zero A World Green Building Council global project

100% of buildings must operate at net zero carbon

WorldGBC definition A net zero carbon building is highly energy efficient with all remaining energy from on-site and/or off-site renewable sources

2050

2030 All new buildings must operate at net zero carbon

Key Principles

1. Measure and disclose carbon Carbon is the ultimate metric to track, and buildings must achieve an annual operational net zero carbon emissions balance based on metered data

GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT

2. Reduce energy demand Prioritise energy efficiency to ensure that buildings are performing as efficiently as possible, and not wasting energy

TRAINING & EDUCATION

3. Generate balance from renewables Supply remaining demand from renewable energy sources, preferably on-site followed by off-site, or from offsets

CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT

CERTIFICATION

4. Improve verification and rigour Over time, progress to include embodied carbon and other impact areas such as zero water and zero waste Source: World Green Building Council, Version 1 / March 2018

far the most important one to date as we face the unprecedented challenge of securing a prosperous future for upcoming generations. We have a small window of opportunity over the next 12 years, to make a significant change and confidently look to our children and future generations and tell them that we did our best and overcame this challenge. Change is achievable if we start today. We have come a long way in the past 10 years to get to the level of awareness and commitment we have today on sustainability. I believe that with the ingenuity of human spirit, the great minds we have in our industry and the leadership of the government sector that we can rise to the challenge and deliver on our global net zero emissions targets.” Achieving Net-Zero A net-zero energy building produces the same amount of energy it consumes. A net-positive energy building produces more energy than what it consumes. Achieving this, however, could be seen to be a little far-fetched. According to the WorldGBC, it recognises

that in most situations, net zero energy buildings, i.e. buildings that generate 100% of their energy needs on-site, are not feasible. Therefore, buildings that are energy efficient, and supply energy needs from renewable sources (on-site and/or off-site) is a more appropriate target for the mass scale required to achieve Paris Agreement levels of global emission reductions. Saeed Al Abbar presents a more realistic picture, highlighting one of the biggest challenges when faced with achieving these ambitious targets. “We’re in situation where you design a new building and there’s maybe thousands of protocols you need to comply with, which are not necessarily constituted to innovation, and also make it impossible for authorities to actually enforce the codes, because no one wants to check every building out of 30,000 buildings.” So how does one mitigate, or bypass restrictive codes and protocols? Al Abbar reckons a somewhat revolution is required. “Performance driven metrics.

I think that that’s definitely the way to go, so we’re not bogging people down. A challenge with this, though, is that performance-based codes could be very difficult from an authority perspective to measure and enforce and it could be open then to noncompliance slipping through.” To soldier through these challenges, the WorldGBC has defined key steps to follow by means of its global project, Advancing Net Zero. The project, which calls for 100% net zero carbon buildings by 2050, was launched in 2016 and has already seen concerted action across its 15 participating Green Building Councils, Emirates GBC being one of them. As part of the project, these Green Building Councils have committed to developing net zero certification schemes in 2018/2019, with 5 already launched as of March 2018. Other pathways of action include engagement with corporate members and government, and developing industry capacity through training and education activities. 55

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Issue 11 | January 2019

PERSON

Print 2025: Making the World a Smarter Place By Lawrence Lee Vice President, Incubation & Strategy, Xerox

unctional printing will give us the ability to extend intelligence pervasively to documents, products, and packages helping to make the Internet of Things (IoT) real. This will radically enhance existing services, from cold chain logistics to environmental monitoring, thereby enabling a host of new services that connect the physical and digital worlds. Print providers will no longer just deliver printed materials but also analytics that can lead to outcome-based pricing models and greater value. Innovation and the future of print • Printed electronics: A low-cost, efficient way to embed intelligence into products and objects. • Digitally printed packaging: Hardworking packaging that adds value throughout a product’s journey. • Infographic: Benefits of digital packages. • 3D print and the robohand: Three guys with 3D printers changed lives for people with disabilities. Structural printing from one to scale Today 3D printing of parts, or structural printing, is mostly limited to rapid prototyping or specialized low-volume

production based on cost and speed limitations of today’s 3D printing processes and materials. However even with today’s limitations, we can see the value of specialized 3D printed parts. Artificial implants, for instance, are not only customized to each patient, but also have highly specialized structures that mimic biological forms. Over the next several years, we will see new advances in high-speed 3D printing of plastics, metals, and even composites. This will enable large-scale manufacturing of production parts, with advantages in design, weight, and material properties over traditional manufacturing processes. As these new technologies mature in the market, we will also see significant changes in supply chains. Sending off parts to be made in factories is currently inflexible and time consuming; structural printing enables parts to be made locally, on-demand, and in an integrated process to simplify designs and reduce components and manufacturing steps. Structural printing also offers the ability to make frequent changes across a production run to enable customization without incurring big setup costs and time.

The flexibility of structural printing will also deliver significant value in applications where distribution is problematic and making products using conventional methods simply isn’t an option. Space exploration is a great example. Astronauts on the International Space Station have already experimented with 3D printing to understand the structure and performance of printed tools. In the future, astronauts will have the flexibility to print a wide scope of tools and parts as and when needed. Structural and functional printing together to create smart objects Perhaps the most exciting potential in the future is in the combination of structural 3D printing and digital functional printing, where we will be able to create personalized smart products, not just parts, on demand. This value proposition is especially compelling in the consumer health and fitness industry. We are already seeing early products of smart clothing with embedded sensors and feedback. In the future we will see even more personalized applications combining structural and functional properties. Take for example custom 3D-printed orthopedic inserts; starting with a 3D scan, it will be possible to print a custom orthopedic insert that supports your foot, resulting in a convenient, cost-effective solution. Now make it smart by adding printed sensors and electronics embedded within the insert’s structural layers to communicate with your smartphone and provide analytics on your gait. And perhaps over time new functional materials could be used to offer differing levels of support as people recover from surgeries and their requirements change during rehabilitation. 57

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

operating in the UAE for the past six decades and our heritage in the UAE is testament to our commitment towards the country and its importance for us as a group,” he added.

PROJECT

A Green Loan For An Islamic Economy

“We are delighted to be the first company in the Middle East region to link environmental performance to pricing in this way. This shows DP World’s pioneering efforts in the region’s capital markets as well as sustainability and innovation.” Said Yuvraj Narayan, Group CFO, DP World.

This is the first green loan in the Middle East region with an Islamic format that links pricing to environmental performance in this way.

ubai’s port operator, DP World, has repriced and extended the maturity of a US$2 billion “green” loan comprising conventional and Islamic revolving credit facilities, Standard Chartered said. A total of 19 banks provided the facility, which was extended by two years and was now due in 2023, said the bank which is coordinating the transaction. The loan pricing is linked to DP World’s carbon emission intensity as a way to incentivise the company to reduce its greenhouse gas emission. Standard Chartered Bank has lead the coordination of DP World Limited’s repricing and extension of its US$2 billion Conventional and Murabaha revolving credit facilities by 2 years to July 2023. This transaction is structured such that the margin of the facility is linked to DP World’s carbon emissions intensity where 58

the Company is incentivised to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. A total of 19 banks supported DP World in this innovative financing structure, with Standard Chartered leading as Green Coordinator.This is the first green loan in the Middle East region with an Islamic format that links pricing to environmental performance in this way. The transaction is a first-of-its-kind and aligns with the bank’s sustainable lending principles. “DP World operates in more than 40 countries across six continents, enabling trade through its marine and inland terminals. As a trade-focused bank that is active in many of the same markets, and with similar views on ensuring that we have a positive impact on economies and communities, Standard Chartered is proud to partner with DP World in a transaction that promotes sustainability,” said Mohamed Salama, head of global banking, Standard Chartered, UAE. “Standard Chartered Bank has been

“As a global trade enabler, our ambition is to lead the industry for all our stakeholders, and we continue to integrate sustainable best practice into every aspect of our business, which includes finance. By linking our core banking facility to our environmental performance, we will continue to improve our efficiency on greenhouse emissions and show our commitment to sustainability and the environment,” he added. Earlier this year, Standard Chartered has published a new Sustainability Philosophy that sets out how the bank integrates sustainability into its organisational decision-making and how it will work with its clients, suppliers, NGOs and governments in its markets - how the bank addresses the balance between supporting business and economic growth, and protecting the environment. Standard Chartered aims to be a force for good by working with its clients to improve their sustainability performance. This will further strengthen and develop the bank’s long-term relationships with its clients, contributing to their competitive advantage and promoting sustainable economic growth in the communities and markets served by the bank.

Issue 11 | January 2019

PRODUCT

Solar Heaters: A Growing Trend Authorities in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai have mandated the use of solar water heaters in new developments, furthering awareness of solar energy as a whole.

he market for solar water heaters is growing across the GCC. There is an increasing trend towards installing solar water heaters (or SWHs) across the region even though the market has not reached its full potential. For instance, according to IMARC Group’s latest report “GCC Solar Water Heater Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2018-2023”, the market for solar water heaters reached a volume of 3662 MWt in 2017, growing at a CAGR of more than 32% during 2010-2017. The market is further expected to reach a volume of around 7593 MWt by 2022. How do we explain the growing trend? When it comes to the UAE more specifically, recent studies have shown that around 70,000 SWHs will be required in the UAE alone in the next five years to help meet its sustainable goals, and authorities in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai have mandated their use in new developments. For the past few years, the UAE has propelled regional and global efforts to pursue a greener future with the development of solar technologies. In this regard, UAE-led solar projects have significantly contributed to reducing the cost of opting for solar energy around the world. The aim is to reinforce national

and global sustainability efforts in support of the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030 and the UAE Vision 2021. In addition it also contributes to the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to make Dubai a global hub for clean energy and green economy, by providing 7% of Dubai’s total power output from clean resources by 2020; 25% by 2030; and 75% by 2050. With this perspective in mind, it becomes easier to understand the growing trend towards solar water heaters. In a nutshell, SWHs are systems used to heat water by converting sunlight into heat energy. With year-round sunshine, the UAE is well placed to take advantage. Given that solar power is a renewable energy source, a SWH can help individuals save money on their electric bills – saving energy, saving money and saving the environment. On average, according to sources such as the US Department of Energy, it can reduce water heater utility bills by 50% or more. In addition, maintenance costs are minimal. Global studies have demonstrated that SWHs last for around 20 years, meaning a much longer life expectancy than other types of water heating system. Despite initially

higher costs to purchase SWHs, when compared to electric versions, the reduced maintenance costs, lower energy consumption and longer life span, ensures that it is a smart investment for the long term. Installations differ from project to project, so people looking to make changes to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly system, should consult specialised experts. All companies must be registered providers, so it is important to check that work is conducted by an approved installer. Well-known brands like Ariston are certified and offer excellent quality, with fast connection to hydraulic pipes and installation options such as supporting frames that allow easier on-roof installation. By investing in a solar water heater, people can help the UAE government towards its vision for a greener future. Currently, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are leading the way across the emirates in promoting the use of SWHs, but the entire nation is adopting the trend. According to the IMARC Group report, the UAE is one of the leading countries in the region in the installation of solar water heaters, along with Saudi Arabia, as the Middle East aims to be more sustainable in its energy mix. 59

The Sustainabilist | ENERGY

INDEX

UAE Renewable Energy Trends Years 2009 - 2017 Installed Capacity )MW( 350

300

Biogas Concentrated Solar Power Solar Photovoltaic Onshore Wind

250

200 150 100

50 0 2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2016

2015

2017

Year

Technology (MW)

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

10.8

12.6

14.4

34.3

34.5

41.8

254.6

Concentrated Solar Power

100

100.1 100.1 100.1

Biogas

Solar Photovoltaic

Source: International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Source: Newsroom Page 5 Technical Review Middle East, Arabian Industry

YOU BRING THE ATTITUDE, WE BRING THE KNOW-HOW.

Why should you consider a sustainability report? IT’s time to:

IDENTIFY

MEASURE

Make your achievements count

Define your long-term vision

MANAGE

CHANGE

Build resilience into your core business model

Adopt world leading best practices

Dubai Carbon is the ‘go-to’ thought leader with the ability to connect the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the GRI Reporting Framework. Dubai Carbon provides tailor-made solutions to accelerate sustainable change. Our collaborative framework allows you to kick-start your sustainability reporting journey in the point most suitable for your internal capacity and experience.

•

Differentiate: Harness sustainability as a true business benefit and differentiate from competitors.

•

Save time & money: On-going management and reporting makes life easier and far less expensive.

•

Develop together: Create a culture that encourages new ideas and innovations. Share and learn about best practices within the company, customers and peer groups.

•

Attract top talent: Strong sustainability programs are a great way to attract, engage and retain talent.

Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence PJSC PO Box 333992, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Phone +971 4 322 9853 Facsimile +971 4 385 4295 Email info@dcce.ae www.dcce.ae