Climate

    Fossil fuel-rich Azerbaijan prepares to host crucial Cop29 climate talks
    26 Jul 2024

    Rows of oil rigs dot the shores of the Caspian Sea; derricks abound across the city and flares from refineries puncture the sky. This is Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, where in just a few months the world will gather to tackle climate change. It may seem an unusual place for climate talks but the ex-Soviet republic in the […]

    Regional fora aim to increase country ambition ahead of next round of climate plans
    25 Jul 2024

    NAIROBI, 24th July, 2024 (WAM) – As record temperatures and unprecedented impacts of climate change continue to affect billions of people across the planet, the United Nations and partners have announced a series of regional meetings aimed at increasing ambition in the next round of climate pledges under the Paris Agreement. In 2025, countries are […]

    Plant-based plastic: Dubai start-up brings the future to store shelves
    24 Jul 2024

    A Dubai start-up is aiming to help address plastic use affecting the UAE’s water, wildlife and carbon footprint by making a greener version from plants. The newly founded Emirates Biotech hopes to make bioplastics in the UAE and eventually export them to India, Turkey and Europe. It is pinning its hopes on the growth of an alternative plastic typically made from corn and […]

    Pre-Cop29 summit in Abu Dhabi will focus on AI’s role in combating climate change
    17 Jul 2024

    A crucial gathering in Abu Dhabi ahead of Cop29 in Azerbaijan will seek to focus minds on how artificial intelligence can help in the fight against climate change. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Cop28 President, said November’s event in the UAE capital will tackle the contradiction between AI’s “thirst for electricity” and its “potential to reduce emissions”. Writing on global […]

    Middle East and African economies have most to gain if world goes green, study finds
    15 Jul 2024

    Victory in the fight against climate change would give the Middle East and Africa the biggest economic boost, a new study finds. By the same token, however, some Middle East economies would be hit especially hard if global warming gets out of control. In the most extreme case, a typical economy in the region would be more than 20 per cent […]

    How global warming could cool down Europe due to Gulf Stream ‘paradox’
    12 Jul 2024

    Climate change might actually cool down parts of Europe, scientists believe, due to a weakening of the Gulf Stream. The warm tropical current from North America to Europe is one reason why Britain has milder winters than freezing Russia or Canada. But the blast of warmth that has come for thousands of years could be weakened by changes in ocean winds, a […]

    EPI: World ‘failing to address climate crisis’, with Middle East showing mixed progress
    27 Jun 2024

    The world is failing to address the climate crisis as countries veer off track from their goals, although the Middle East appears to be making some progress, according to the latest Environmental Performance Index. The EPI – released on Monday by Yale University’s Centre for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia University’s Centre for International Earth Science Information Network – […]

    Cop28 Presidency takes action to help farmers affected by climate change
    26 Jun 2024

    An environmental task force to help farmers around the world address critical climate challenges has been set up by the UAE-led Cop28 Presidency. It is part of efforts to achieve the goals of the milestone declaration on sustainable agriculture, made during the Cop28 UN climate summit in Dubai last year. The Cop28 Presidency on Monday said the […]

    Can the production of palm oil ever be environmentally sustainable?
    05 Jun 2024

    Palm oil is sometimes seen as a wonder commodity. It is a cheap cooking oil, an ingredient in any number of foods, a biofuel and it is found in numerous consumer products from cosmetics to detergents. But it is often also regarded as an environmental menace, as vast swathes of tropical forests are destroyed so that palm tree plantations can […]

    Gulf’s mangroves could shrink by 45 per cent as climate threat looms, report warns
    03 Jun 2024

    Mangroves in the Arabian Gulf and surrounding regions could shrink by 45 per cent over the next half century if current trends continue, scientists have warned in a study. The assessment, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), found that the area in the Gulf covered by mangroves has declined by about 14 per […]