Good morning, nice people. It’s a light news day in the regional climate sector as we hit a mid-week slump. We have some M&A news and a new renewables-powered project taking shape in the UAE.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Al Rajhi Bank — Saudi Arabia's second-largest lender by assets — plans to issue sustainable USD-denominated sukuk, according to a Tadawul filing. It did not disclose details about the size and terms of the issuance, but a document seen by Reuters sees the lender selling a benchmark-sized five-year sustainable sukuk under its USD 4 bn Trust Certificate Issuance Programme.

Advisors: Al Rajhi Bank hired our friends at HSBC, along with Al Rajhi Capital, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Citigroup Global Markets, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, First Abu Dhabi Bank as joint lead managers and bookrunners for the transaction. Its advisors list also includes Goldman Sachs, KFH Capital Investment, SMBC Capital Markets, Société Générale and Standard Chartered Bank.

Not Al Rajhi’s first sustainable sukuk issuance: Al Rajhi Bank raised USD 1 bn from its five-year USD-denominated sustainable sukuk issuance in April. The bank issued 5k bonds at a par value of USD 200k, with the sukuk carrying a yield of 4.75% per annum. The bank’s sustainable sukuk plans comes as part of its financial and strategic objectives outlined under its sustainability financing framework (pdf).

#2- The stage is being set for COP29: The EU is preparing to call on the fossil fuel industry to help foot the bill for building climate resilience in developing countries under a UN target, Reuters reports, citing a draft document it has seen. The upcoming COP29 in Azerbaijan will see countries decide on a new goal for how much wealthier nations should contribute to offsetting the effects of the climate crisis in poorer countries, the newswire writes. The draft document — prepared for a EU foreign ministers meeting later this month — proposes identifying new sources of finance, including contributions from the oil and gas sector to reach its updated climate finance target, which is expected to be much higher than the USD 100 bn per year goal countries have failed to meet since 2020. Climate investment needs in poor countries may reach up to USD 1 tn by 2025.

#3- Google partners with MethaneSAT satellite on methane emissions detection tech: The USD 88 mn MethaneSAT satellite — developed by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to pinpoint methane emission hotspots around the globe — was launched into space yesterday, according to an article published in the scientific journal Nature. The satellite — which will be able to detect methane emissions particularly from oil and gas fields, agricultural facilities, and landfills — will use technology from Google to provide comprehensive data on methane emissions, enabling companies, regulators and other stakeholders to track progress on their emission targets.

Why is this important? Methane is the second most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas after CO2, and contributes a third of global heating driving the climate crisis. There have been over 1.25k huge methane leaks from landfills globally between January 2019 and June 2023, with Pakistan, India and Bangladesh leading the list of methane emitters.

Methane emissions are finally getting some attention in the climate fight: 50 nations have signed up for the Global Methane Pledge — first proposed in 2021 to push down methane volumes by at least 30% by 2030 in November. The UN unveiled its Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) during COP28 in November to identify methane hotspots and their sources. In the same month, EU lawmakers reached a provisional agreement to set methane emission curbs for future oil and gas imports into the bloc and the US initiated a “Methane Finance Sprint” to mobilize USD 200 mn to help developing countries curb greenhouse gas emissions.

#4- Germany’s MAN Energy Solutions plans to deliver and install its first-ever ammonia-fuelled engine on a new vessel in Japan by the end of the year, CEO Uwe Lauber told Reuters. Trials on the ammonia-fuelled ship will take a year or two and bunkering infrastructure and safety standards have yet to be devised, Lauber added. The company will begin to offer ammonia-powered engines to clients in 2027. The shipping industry accounts for nearly 3% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, the newswire notes, and ammonia is one of several alternative fuels the industry is exploring.

#5- Once a booming sector of ESG debt, the sustainability-linked loan (SLL) market is witnessing a significant downturn, Bloomberg reports. Corporate clients are retreating due to increased regulatory restrictions, low financial incentives, and the threat of greenwashing allegations, the news outlet explains. Last year saw a 56% drop in SLL issuance to USD 203 bn, with the decline continuing into this year plummeting by 74% so far. The European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, demanding extensive ESG claim documentation, is cited as a major deterrent for companies considering SLLs.

Market reassessment: The SLL market — valued at USD 1.5 tn and second only to green bonds — is undergoing a reassessment. The UK’s Loan Markets Association's updated guideline called for borrowers and bankers doing SLLs to only use key performance indicators that are “relevant, core and material” and to ensure that key perfomance indicators are also “measurable and quantifiable,” according to the news outlet. As the market matures, deals from four years ago are now viewed as weak in ESG terms, prompting a reevaluation of what constitutes acceptable sustainability practices in loan agreements.

DANGER ZONE-

Hydrogen fuel could exacerbate climate change if its commercialisation is poorly managed, Energy News reported, citing scientists concerned about the fuel’s rapid and unregulated growth despite its indirect climate risks. Those risks include the potential of leaked hydrogen prolonging the heat-trapping impact of methane, making it act as a greenhouse gas due to the water vapor it creates in the upper atmosphere, the news outlet explains. Burning hydrogen in power plants can also increase nitrogen oxides formation, contributing to smog and warming. The US’ Just Solutions coalition and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research are amongst the institutions that have highlighted the emissions and water use implications of hydrogen reliance.

What can be done? Experts urge a cautious approach including considering hydrogen's full lifecycle emissions, potential leaks during transport and storage, and its effects on other atmospheric elements. The call is for a well-managed hydrogen strategy that prioritizes environmental integrity alongside energy innovation.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host the World Future Energy Summit from Tuesday, 16 April to Thursday, 18 April in Abu Dhabi. The summit will address solutions for development in the transformation of future energy systems. The summit will also feature discussions on recycling, waste-to-energy, and air-to-water trends and progressions.

The UAE will host the Connecting Green Hydrogen MENA event from Tuesday, 23 April to Thursday, 25 April in Dubai. The event will explore green hydrogen partnerships, policies, and practices in the region, in parallel to a showcasing of the latest in the clean fuel’s technology.

Oman will host the Oman Sustainability Week from Sunday, 28 April to Thursday, 2 May in Muscat. The event will focus on exploring investment opportunities and implementing best practices in sustainability within the energy, water, and environmental sectors.

The UAE will host The Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit from Monday, 20 May to Wednesday, 22 May in Abu Dhabi. The event will see industry leaders come together to discuss sustainable mobility and tapping into groundbreaking advancements in electric vehicles while engaging with key decision-makers.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.