Without energy nothing can happen on Earth — there can be no development and even life cannot be sustained. Energy plays a central role in modern societies. Thus, one who owns energy owns the world.
Globally, it is agreed that human beings are entitled to a number of environmental rights. These include rights such as the right to light, food, water, shelter, participation, education, work, belief, etc. The right to energy is a prerequisite for attaining any of these environmental rights. And it is worth mentioning that the Islamic rule "a requirement of duty is a duty" emphasises and supports this concept.
The UAE view on the issue of fossil energy resources, alternative clean energy, energy efficiency and climate change has changed significantly in the past few years. There is a dramatic shift towards energy diversification, with more research and initiatives being launched in the field of renewable energy. There is also a new resolve to fight climate change.
The Fifth World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2012 took place in Abu Dhabi between January 16 and 19, and was hosted by Masdar. It proved that the UAE is very serious about renewable energy, and a true example of the dedication of the UAE is the attempt to boost international efforts to fight climate change and the transition towards green energy.
The summit focused on policy and strategy issues. There were forums on: business and policy; technology and innovation; and finance and regulation. The wide range of subjects considered by WFES included wind power, solar power, natural gas, energy efficiency, cities, transportation, China, rural development and capacity building, technology, energy storage, energy-smart infrastructure, carbon capture and storage (CCS), bioenergy, nuclear power, regulations and trade, venture capital, and innovation in financial products for sustainable energy. These subjects constitute a holistic coverage of issues that need to be addressed, discussed and researched in order to shift towards reliable and sustainable energy.
In fact, almost any type of alternative energy (geothermal, wind, solar and biofuels) can be utilised in the UAE. Solar energy, especially, is technically and economically feasible. The prospects are very promising as the average direct natural exposure to sunlight in the UAE is about 1,800 kilowatt/hours per square metre. Many projects have been launched in recent years in the field of solar energy. In the UAE, solar energy is already used to power parking meters and offshore buoys as well as water heaters and airconditioners in hotels.
In this regard, I believe that the UAE, and the GCC, can be a net exporter of electricity generated from solar power in the future. It is worthwhile for the Gulf states to consider joint mega-solar projects, such as DESERTEC, to supply India and other energy-hungry countries in Asia. Such an initiative, GULFTEC let's say, has all elements of success (funds, expertise, will, etc).
Global initiative
Still, there is a lot to do to overcome the many obstacles in the path of transition to renewable energy, including technology transfer. We hope that the UAE will be the exporter of such technologies in the future and initiatives such as Masdar can play a vital role in this area.
Shifting towards the economy of the future, the green economy, depends mainly on clean, reliable and sustainable energy sources. The WFES conceded with the beginning of the "International Year of Sustainable Energy for All in 2012", announced by the United Nations General Assembly, that "… access to modern affordable energy services in developing countries is essential for the achievement of … the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development."
The aim is to "increase awareness of the importance of addressing energy issues, including modern energy services for all, access to affordable energy, energy efficiency and the sustainability of energy sources and use" at local, national, regional and international levels.
This initiative will engage governments, the private sector and civil society partners globally with the goal of achieving sustainable energy for all, and to reach three major objectives by 2030:
- Ensuring universal access to modern energy services,
- Doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency,
- Doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
In addition, the provision of adequate and clean energy is an essential component of efforts to alleviate poverty, improve the quality of life and achieve sustainable societies.
To achieve harmony between economic, environmental and energy goals, there is a need to adopt genuinely green policies that depend on sustainable development principles such as the polluter pays principle and precautionary principle, economic instruments like feed-in tariffs, and market-based approaches such as renewables certificates and performance bonds.
Dr Mohammad Abdel Raouf is an independent environmental researcher.
