Progress on Sustainable Development Goals is off track

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

TODAY: SDG progress falls short + China looks to WTO to intervene in its EV trade war with the US

Good morning, ladies and gents. It’s another relatively calm news day, although we have plenty of meat for you to sink your teeth into with the UN’s Sustainable Development Report 2024, which shows that global progress on SDGs is alarmingly off track.

^^ We have chapter and verse on this story and more in this morning’s news well, below.

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- China looks to WTO to intervene in its EV trade war with the US: China has asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to establish an expert panel to resolve the dispute over the EV subsidies the US will soon roll out under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The move follows unsuccessful consultations between China and the US aimed at protecting China’s EV industry. China’s Commerce Ministry has urged the US to adhere to WTO rules and cease using industrial policies that hinder international climate cooperation, arguing that the IRA unfairly excludes its products, creating trade barriers and increasing green energy transition costs.

How does the IRA impact China’s EV sector? Under the IRA, subsidies are provided for consumers to purchase more EVs and companies to produce more renewables, which China has argued is exclusionary to non-American goods.

REMEMBER- US tariff increases slapped onto EVs and batteries will come into effect on 1 August, the US Trade Representative office said in May. The impact is expected to be major given that European and US car manufacturers sold 32% of all imported vehicles in China in 2023.

This is not the first time China consults the WTO: China began a dispute settlement against the US at the WTO in March, citing “discriminatory subsidies” that exclude their EVs from the market. The country said it pursued legal action to “safeguard [their] legitimate interests … and maintain a fair level playing field of competition.” The proceedings will take at least six months but the US will be able to appeal into a legal void should the WTO rule against them.

The story made headlines in the international press: Reuters | AFP

HAPPENING TODAY-

The two-day Egypt Mining Forum kicks off today in Cairo. The event will bring together decision-makers from government, industry experts, new exploration firms, financiers, and investors to explore the challenges and advantages to establish Egypt as a leading global mining hub by 2040.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- KSA + Envision nearing agreement to develop a wind turbine manufacturing plant: Saudi Arabia’s privately owned renewables company Vision Industries and the kingdom’s Private Investment Fund (PIF) are close to securing an agreement with China’s second largest wind turbine manufacturer Envision Group to build a new wind turbine production plant in Saudi Arabia, sources close to the matter told Bloomberg. The partnership — which comes as part of a bid to localize Saudi Arabia’s supply chains — could be finalized as soon as this week with Envision expected to contribute the biggest investment value, the sources added. No details about the size or investment ticket of the project were disclosed.

Envision has been active with regional companies: The company said last year it would supply wind turbines with a capacity of 1.67 GW to power Neom’s USD 8.4 bn green hydrogen project, which is slated to become fully operational in 2026. Envision is also the turbine supplier for Acwa Power’s 250 MW wind project in Azerbaijan. The turbine maker will also provide its product to Egypt’s Amunet wind project being developed by Amea power.

#2- Egypt will work with the UAE to add 4 GW worth of renewable projects onto Egypt’s national grid by next summer, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly said, according to a statement. Madbouly’s comments came during a meeting he held with UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Al Jaber and Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi where they discussed the need to introduce new energy sources and localize related industries, such as solar panel manufacturing and wind energy equipment. The private sector will also play a role in implementing these projects, Madbouly added. No details about the nature of the projects or their investment value were disclosed.

#3- Oman’s Manah solar plants 60% completed: Construction of Oman’s USD 800 mn Manah 1 and Manah 2 solar energy projects, each of which has a capacity of 500 MW, is 60% complete, according to Oman News Agency. The projects will reduce 1 mn tons of carbon emissions annually. Construction of both projects began in 3Q 2023 and commercial operations are expected to be completed by the middle of 2025.

More about Manah: The Manah plants are a project by Oman’s Nama Power and Water Procurement Company to build a solar plant with a combined capacity of 1 GW. The Manah 1 project is being developed by a consortium comprising French power utility EDF Renewables and Korea Western Power, while a JV made up of Singapore’s Sembcorp Utilities and China’s Jinko Power was selected to develop the Manah 2 solar plant in March.

We have a price for Egypt’s locally made EVs: Egyptian government-owned automaker Arab Organization for Industrialization’s locally made EVs being manufactured in partnership with Saudi’s Waja Group will be priced between EGP 500k to EGP 1 mn, Chairman Mokhtar Abdel Latif said in an interview with TenTV (watch, runtime: 51:51). Another car being manufactured with an unnamed Chinese company will be priced at less than 500k, he added. There is still no publicly available information about the size, ownership split, brand portfolio, or production plans of the Waja agreement.

Not the only EV in the works for Egypt: Egyptian firm GV Investments’ automotive arm GV Auto signed a partnership agreement with Chinese state-owned Faw Group to locally manufacture, assemble, market, distribute, and export EVs. Locally assembled EVs from the partnership should start rolling out by the beginning of next year.

WORTH READING-

Cleantech investor and founder of Khosla Ventures Vinod Khosla is embracing a high-risk approach to climate tech investing, he told The Financial Times. Despite the volatility in investment sentiment and political uncertainties, Khosla’s strategy focuses on investing in “companies pursuing radical approaches with high technical risk” and products that can become cost-competitive without long-term subsidies or future carbon pricing. This approach, while risky, aims to achieve breakthroughs in the green tech sector, according to the FT. Khosla has been investing in clean tech for over 20 years, making him a pioneer in the industry.

About Khosla’s investments: Khosla’s investments focus on sectors including steel, fusion power, geothermal energy, AI, and urban transit. He has shown skepticism towards technologies that remain more expensive than conventional options, such as Sweden’s H2 Green Steel and Hybrit. Instead, he backs companies like Limelight Steel, which aims to replace coal-fired blast furnaces with laser-based systems, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, which is developing a prototype fusion plant, and QuantumScape, a company working on advanced solid-state batteries. Khosla is also exploring superhot geothermal energy through investments in Quaise and Mazama Energy.

DANGER ZONE-

Forever chemicals in EV batteries pose major health hazard in disposal: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — also known as forever chemicals — used in lithium-ion batteries pose significant environmental and health risks, according to a recent study (pdf) from Texas Tech University. The research focused on bis-FASI, a subclass of PFAS, finding alarming levels near manufacturing plants and in remote regions. The study found that waste from disposed batteries is a major pollution source, with bis-FASI detected in soil, water, and even snow, indicating its mobility through the atmosphere.

The damage: The chemicals, essential for clean energy technology, don’t break down naturally and accumulate in humans, leading to severe health issues such as cancer and liver disease, the study adds. The lack of end-of-life standards for PFAS battery waste exacerbates the problem, with most waste ending up in municipal dumps. The study emphasizes the need for better environmental risk assessments as the clean energy industry expands.

REMEMBER- There’s a way to destroy forever chemicals: A team of researchers from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory demonstrated that high-energy electron beams can break down forever chemicals in water. The researchers used an electron beam accelerator at Fermilab to irradiate water samples containing two of the most problematic PFAS compounds. The electron beam was able to break the strong bonds in the PFAS molecules, effectively eliminating them without releasing harmful byproducts.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host the World ESG Summit from Tuesday, 20 August to Wednesday, 21 August in Dubai. The summit will gather experts and industry leaders to explore new ways to integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into business practices.

Turkey will host the International Conference on Clean and Green Energy Engineering from Saturday, 24 August to Monday, 26 August in Izmir. The event will gather researchers and professionals to share advances in clean energy. It will also offer a platform to discuss the latest research, practices, and applications in clean and green energy engineering.

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

Oman’s 44.01 reels in USD 37 mn in series A funding round

44.01, a Omani developer of carbon mineralization tech, closed a USD 37 mn series A funding round to advance its carbon sequestration and storage technology around the world, according to a statement. The round was led by UAE’s tech investor Shorooq Partners and Norway’s Equinor Ventures — Equinor’s corporate venture capital arm for early-phase and growth companies. Bill Gates’ US-based Breakthrough Energy Ventures also participated in the round with follow-on investments.

Other new investors: Innovation Development Oman was the only other regional investor but UK-based Salica Investment’s Mena-focused Oryx Fund — which has an office in Abu Dhabi — aso contributed to the funding. The rest was collected from a variety of international investors including Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, UK-based Climate Investment (founded by the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative), Germany-based Planet A Ventures, Germany-based Siemens Financial Services, and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation.

Where’s the money going? The funding will enable 44.01 to further develop its technology, scale commercial projects, and expand internationally, the statement adds. “Our investors bring a wealth of international expertise and experience that will help us to accelerate our development and ultimately mineralise CO2 at scale worldwide,” the company’s founder and CEO Talal Hasan said.

REFRESHER– How does their process work? 44.01’s Carbon Capture and Mineralization technology captures CO2 from the air, dissolves it in seawater, and injects it into formations of peridotite — a kind of rock that naturally mineralizes CO2 — deep underground. The technology can currently store approximately 50 to 60 tons of CO2 per day, Hasan said in a separate statement to Bloomberg. The company is aiming to boost their capacity to achieve daily sequestration of 100 tons of CO2 per injection borehole at a commercial scale.

44.01 is already active in Oman: The awardwinning firm, which started its operations in Oman in 2022, partnered with direct air capture (DAC) company Aircapture last year to establish a DAC and mineralization project in Oman. The project, set to start later this year, will have the capacity to deliver 500 tons of liquid CO2 annually with plans to increase the capacity later on. 44.01 is also collaborating with carbon capture specialist Climatework to study the deployment of DAC with storage in peridotite formations in Oman. The firm also collaborated with Omani-British green energy venture X2E to establish a JV called G2X, which will capture, process, and permanently store waste gasses in February.

The firm has already expanded to the UAE: UAE’s oil giant Adnoc invested USD 15 bn in a partnership with the Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation, renewables developer Masdar, and Omani carbon removal and 44.01 to pilot technology to permanently mineralize CO2 in rock formations in Fujairah last year.

Sustainable Development Goals are lagging behind 2030 goals

Global progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is alarmingly off track, according to the UN’s Sustainable Development Report 2024 (pdf). Only 16% of the targets set for 2030 are on track, with the rest showing little or even reversed progress since 2020. The climate-related SDGs — which includes access to affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), growing sustainable cities (SDG 11), climate action (SDG 13), managing healthy oceans (SDG 14), and protecting land (SDG 15) — are especially lagging behind, the report concluded, adding that new institutions and innovative global financing mechanisms like global taxation are required to mobilize sufficient funds.

How different regions are faring: Nordic and European countries remain frontrunners at the top of the 2024 SDG Index, with Finland holding the number one spot, followed by Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and France. Brics countries — including Egypt and the UAE — are also taking strong strides, as well as Ethiopia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia who have shown progress compared to 2015 levels. East and South Asia have also emerged as the regions with the most significant advancement towards the SDGs over the same period. However, poorer and vulnerable nations — including Small Island Developing States — are continuing to fall further behind.

REFRESHER- About the SDG scoring system: Depending on how countries score out of 100 in each SDG — which is broken down into several indicators — the country receives either a red (major challenges remain), orange (significant challenges remain), yellow (challenges remain), or green (SDG achieved) scores. The trend directions for each country are also broken down into colored indicators, with red signifying a decrease in progress, orange indicating stagnation, yellow reflecting moderate improvement, and green denoting that the country is on track or maintaining the SDG achievement.

The MENA region has a long way to go, receiving a red score on all five goals that are directly related to the environment (SDG 7, SDG 11, SDG 13, SDG 14, and SDG 15). In terms of trends, the region scored orange on SDGs 7, 11, 14, and 15, but received a yellow score on SGD 13 only, revealing that while significant challenges remain, work on climate action is slowly picking up.

How are MENA countries doing on SDG 7? The region is lagging on the SDG 7 goals with most of its countries including Morocco, Oman, KSA, Algeria, Jordan, Tunisia, and Iraq getting a red score. Egypt and the UAE are doing better with an orange score for the SDG. The current trends show all these countries in the yellow score zone — except Yemen, which received an orange score.

SDG 11 performance isn’t much better: Egypt, Oman, Jordan, KSA, UAE, Jordan, Iraq, and Yemen received a red score for SDG 11 goals, Morocco and Algeria got an orange score, and Tunisia received a yellow score. In terms of current trends, Morocco and Iraq saw a red score, while Egypt, KSA, Algeria, Jordan, and Yemen saw an orange score, and Oman, UAE and Tunisia scored yellow.

The climate action SDG saw a slight improvement: Only Oman, KSA, and UAE scored red for the climate action SDG 13, while Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, and Tunisia scored yellow, Iraq landed in orange, and only Yemen is in the green zone. The trend for the SDG has Morocco and Lebanon in the red zone, with Oman, UAE, and Tunisia scoring orange, Egypt, KSA, Algeria, Jordan, and Iraq in yellow, and Yemen again having the sole green score.

Life underwater has some of the lowest performances: The red scoreboard includes Egypt, Morocco, KSA, UAE, Yemen, and Tunisia, while the orange one includes Oman, Algeria, and Iraq, and the yellow one only has Jordan. Current trends had Yemen in the red, with Egypt, Morocco, Oman, KSA, UAE, Iraq, and Tunisia in orange and only Jordan in green

Along with life on land: The region’s performance scored lowest in the SDG 15 goals on life on land with Egypt, Morocco, KSA, UAE, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan, Iraq and Yemen in red and only Oman, Kuwait and Libya in orange. The current trends show only Iraq and Iran in the red with Egypt, Oman, Morocco, KSA, UAE, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan, Iraq, and Yemen in the orange score.

The report considered the level of compliance with the UN system: The report introduces a new Index of UN Multilateralism Support (UN-Mi) that assesses countries’ engagement with the UN system. This includes factors like treaty ratification, votes at the UN General Assembly, membership in UN organizations, involvement in conflicts, use of unilateral sanctions, and financial contributions to the UN.

And published the results of the third “Scenathon”: The report presented the results of the 2023 “Scenathon” — an initiative run by researchers from 22 countries across all continents exploring three alternative futures between 2030 and 2050 for food and land-use systems that center food security, climate goals, biodiversity conservation, and clean water. Based on the outcome of the Scenathon, the researchers found that global dietary shifts towards less animal consumption, investments in agricultural productivity in high-demand areas, and robust monitoring systems to stop deforestation could help offset 100 gigatons of CO2 emissions and stop the deforestation of around 100 mn hectares of land by 2050.

You can read more on how the MENA region fared in their SDG performance last year in our coverage of the Arab Region SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2023 published in January.

Bahrain taps Maersk for ship recycling

RECYCLING-

Bahrain + Maersk to develop ship recycling industry: Bahrain’s Transport and Telecommunications Ministry and Industry and Commerce Ministry signed an agreement with AP Moller-Maersk to develop and establish a ship recycling industry in the country, according to a statement. As part of the agreement, Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company will build docks and yards for larger ships with support from the ministries, Bahrain Steel will process steel from the recycling process to sell in local and international markets, while Maersk will provide the ships for recycling as well as consulting services.

CARBON MARKET-

KSA’s milk producer Sawani to purchase carbon credits: Saudi camel milk company Sawani — owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) — signed an agreement with the PIF and Tadawul-backed Regional Voluntary Carbon Market Company (RVCMC) to purchase 10k tons of carbon credits, according to a statement. The two year partnership will see the company buy and sell its voluntary offsets with support and guidance from the carbon trading firm.

REMEMBER- RVCMC’s been active: The company recently signed a three-year agreement with plastics manufacturer Saudi Top to trade carbon credits. The company also signed two MoUs with Kenya’s main dry cell battery maker Eveready East Africa and Carbon Vista Nigeria to set up high-quality and impactful carbon projects in the two countries last year, and held a carbon credit auction in Nairobi which drew big demand from over a dozen firms who bid on an available 2 mn tons of carbon credits last year.

GREEN FINANCE-

FAB is the region’s most sustainable company: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s largest bank, has been recognized as the most sustainable company in the Middle East and Africa by Time magazine and data firm Statista, according to a statement. FAB is the highest-ranked company from the region in Time’s inaugural World’s 500 Most Sustainable Companies list, which evaluated over 5k companies globally. The bank — the first globally to join the COP28 Net-Zero Transition Charter — pledged to lend, invest, and facilitate over AED 500 bn (USD 135 bn) in sustainable and green financing by 2030 during COP28.

Shipping industry places bets on green ammonia vessels

Shipping giants invest bns into ammonia fuel carriers: As green ammonia production gains momentum, top shipping firms — including Maersk, TMS Cardiff Gas, Capital Maritime, Mitsui OSK Lines, and Nippon Yusen Kaisha — have ordered USD 16 bn worth of vessels to transport ammonia, Bloomberg reported, citing research by UK-based VesselsValue. While today most of the delivered fleet is being used to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petrochemicals, an increase in ammonia demand in line with energy transition goals could increase the fleet of ships able to carry ammonia by 25% within three years, the business information service writes, citing data from maritime and shipping analytics firm Clarkson Research Services.

It may not be so easy: As the fleet of ships expands, it is unclear whether ammonia production will meet forecasts by 2027. Almost 66% of announced ammonia projects are still in early development, while some have not begun feasibility studies. Given that the new vessels are adaptable and can carry both ammonia and petroleum cargo, firms may be forced to use the vehicles to carry hydrocarbons and petrochemicals if clean ammonia production falls short of production forecasts.

EV manufacturer VinFast is the latest target of slowed demand in the sector: Vietnamese EV maker VinFast Auto has decided to delay the completion of its North Carolina Factory by three years and has lowered its full year sales target to 80k from 100k, Bloomberg reported. VinFast will face “further challenges” as consumers shift from full EVs to hybrid cars, Chief Market Strategist Tyler Manh Dung Nguyen told the news outlet. Even with decreased sales targets, the company is at risk of further downgrades from the initially set target of reaching 168% in growth, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Ken Foong warned.

The company’s been struggling for a while now: VinFast — along with Tesla, Rivian, Xpeng, Nio, Leapmotor, and Fisker — all either missed their annual production targets or experienced record low slumps in stock earlier this year. The company saw its market cap drop from USD 190 bn to USD 13 bn over a five-month period. In the US, the company was forced to recall 999 of its VF8 SUVs from the US due to software issues.

ALSO- Companies are reluctant to invest in critical minerals because of slowing EV market: Companies are not investing in critical minerals and renewables because of uncertainty regarding the consumer demand and government commitment for the projects, industry players said at the World Materials Forum last week, according to Reuters. Demand for critical materials is doing better in China and Asia than the West, where sales of EVs dropped significantly, including a 12% in the EU.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

China’s emissions decline for first time since 2016: China’s power generation and oil consumption went down last month in parallel to increased adoption of renewables and EVs, setting the country up for a 7.2% to 8.2% emissions decline this year, the first for the country since 2016. This makes 2023 the year that China has hit peak output of greenhouse gasses. (Bloomberg)

African woodlands more valuable carbon sinks than expected

Africa’s forests more valuable carbon sinks than previously thought: The miombo woodlands in southern Africa store over double the amount of carbon dioxide than previously assumed, Bloomberg reported, citing a study (pdf) by London-based carbon data provider Sylvera which collected data using drones, sensors, and helicopters. The forests can absorb the same amount of carbon as the world’s annual net increase in atmospheric CO2, the research found.

What are the implications? As a result of the study’s findings, the miombo woodlands are now considered much more valuable for carbon offset projects and debt-for-nature swaps. At the same time, destruction of the forests releases much more carbon than expected, making their preservation all the more pressing. Over the past four decades, the area has shrunk to 1.9 mn sqkm — down from 2.7 mn sqkm — due to deforestation from logging.

Researchers develop a compact, self-sufficient, solar-powered green hydrogen module

Researchers from three of Germany-based Fraunhofer research institutes have created a compact, modular, self-sufficient cell for producing green hydrogen using solar energy, according to a press release. Unlike traditional electrolysis, which requires large and complex systems, the new photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) module integrates the entire process within a single unit, instead of generating electricity separately for the purposes of later electrolysis elsewhere. The new tech, part of the Neo-PEC joint research project, offers a reliable method for generating hydrogen without a carbon footprint.

How does it work? The tandem PEC module is designed to maintain a strict separation between hydrogen and oxygen during and after generation, the statement adds. The module’s design allows it to absorb short-wavelength light on one side and long-wavelength light on the other, optimizing the use of solar energy. The module uses semiconducting materials coated on both sides of standard glass to split water into hydrogen and oxygen directly when exposed to sunlight. The method both simplifies the hydrogen production process and also enhances efficiency and flexibility.

What differentiates the model from typical ones? The photovoltaic elements within the module provide additional voltage to enhance the system’s efficiency. With an active surface area of 0.5 sqm, a single module can generate over 30 kg of hydrogen per year under European sunlight conditions, sufficient to power a hydrogen car for 15k to 20k kms annually.

An outlook: The Fraunhofer teams are planning to continue their research and development in collaboration with the private sector, aiming to further enhance the module’s capabilities and expand its commercial applications.

CALENDAR

JULY 2024

8-18 July: (Monday-Thursday): High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2024, New York, US.

16-17 July (Tuesday-Wednesday): The Egypt Mining Forum, Cairo, Egypt.

AUGUST 2024

12-16 August (Monday-Friday): Mastering Renewable & Alternative Energies, Dubai, UAE.

20-21 August (Tuesday-Wednesday): The World ESG Summit, Dubai, UAE.

24-26 August (Saturday-Monday): International Conference on Clean and Green Energy Engineering, Izmir, Turkey.

24-26 August (Saturday-Monday): International Summit on Non-Renewable and Renewable Energy, Valencia, Spain.

SEPTEMBER 2024

16-18 September (Monday-Wednesday): World Utilities Congress, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

17-19 September (Tuesday-Thursday): EV Auto Show, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

25-26 September (Wednesday-Thursday): Green Steel Summit, Dubai, UAE.

OCTOBER 2024

1-3 October (Tuesday-Thursday): Water, Energy and Environment Technology Exhibition, Dubai, UAE.

1-3 October (Tuesday-Thursday): Cairo Sustainable Energy Week, Cairo, Egypt.

2-3 October (Wednesday-Thursday): World Green Economy Summit, Dubai, UAE.

10-12 October (Thursday-Saturday): The IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence & Green Energy, Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia.

13-17 October (Sunday-Thursday): Cairo Water Week, Cairo, Egypt.

15-17 October (Tuesday-Thursday): EV Auto Show, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

15-16 October (Tuesday-Wednesday): Solar & Storage Live KSA, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

NOVEMBER 2024

4-8 November (Monday-Friday): World Urban Forum, Cairo, Egypt.

4-8 November (Monday-Friday): AfricanEnergy Week, Cape Town, South Africa.

6-7 November (Wednesday-Thursday): Renewable Energy Forum Africa, Tunis, Tunisia.

6-7 November (Wednesday-Thursday): Critical Mineral Africa Summit, Cape Town, South Africa.

11-22 November (Monday-Friday) United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties (COP29), Baku, Azerbaijan.

11-14 November (Monday-Thursday): Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

18-19 November (Monday-Tuesday): G20 Summit, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

26- 27 November: (Tuesday – Wednesday): World Food Security Summit, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

26-28 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Future Power Expo, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

26-28 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Egypt Energy Show, Cairo, Egypt.

27-28 November (Wednesday-Thursday): RAK Energy Summit, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.

DECEMBER 2024

2-13 December (Monday-Friday): Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

JANUARY 2025

12-15 January (Sunday-Wednesday): World Renewable Energy Congress, Manama, Bahrain.

14-16 January (Tuesday-Thursday): World Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

28-29 January (Tuesday-Wednesday): Sustainability Forum Middle East, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

FEBRUARY 2025

24-26 February (Monday-Wednesday): Connecting Hydrogen MENA, Dubai, UAE.

24-27 February (Monday-Thursday): Oman Climate Week, Muscat, Oman.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2024

End-2024: Emirati Masdar’s 500 MW wind farm in Uzbekistan to begin commercial operations.

QatarEnergy’s industrial cities solar power project will start electricity production.

November: Arab Forum for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Amman, Jordan.

2025

International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

UAE to have over 1k EV charging stations installed.

Middle East Electric Vehicle Show, Sharjah, UAE.

2026

26-29 October (Monday-Thursday): World Energy Congress, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

UITP Global Public Transport Summit, Dubai, UAE.

Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Bangkok, Thailand.

1Q 2026: QatarEnergy’s USD 1 bn blue ammonia plant to be completed.

End-2026: HSBC Bahrain to eliminate single-use PVC plastic cards.

2027

MENA’s district cooling market is expected to reach USD 15 bn.

World Water Forum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

2030

UAE’s Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) wants to provide AED 35 bn in green financing.

UAE targets 14 GW in clean energy capacity.

Tunisia targets 30% of renewables in its energy mix.

Qatar wants to generate USD 17 bn from its circular economy, creating 9k-19k jobs.

Morocco’s Xlinks solar and wind energy project to generate 10.5 GW of energy.

2035

Qatar to capture up to 11 mn tons of CO2 annually.

2045

Qatar’s Public Works Authority’s (Ashghal) USD 1.5 bn sewage treatment facility to reach 600k cm/d capacity.

2050

Tunisia’s carbon neutrality target.

2060

Nigeria aims to achieve its net-zero emissions target.

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