TODAY: Saudi Arabia’s Maaden makes a splash at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh
Good morning, wonderful people, and welcome to the tail-end of what felt like the first real work week of 2023.
THE BIG REGIONAL CLIMATE STORY? Saudi Arabia’s mining industry and massive potential is in the spotlight, with the country’s mining player Maaden signing a number of key agreements at the Future Minerals Forum yesterday. The country is also eyeing domestic nuclear power generation.
^^ We have chapter and verse on this story and more in the news well, below.
THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- Failure to act on climate change is our biggest long-term global threat — but inflation is delaying action: Climate change and the failure to take action on global heating are the most urgent long-term challenges facing the world, but inflation and the current cost-of-living crisis threaten to overshadow them in the short-term — further delaying essential action, the World Economic Forum said in a report (pdf) published yesterday. The Global Risks Report, based on a survey of 1.2k risk experts, was released ahead of the annual gathering of government and business leaders at Davos next week. The story is attracting widespread coverage in the international press: Reuters | CNBC | Independent | Bloomberg | AP
AND IN COP LAND- The UAE is set to launch its COP28 presidency today, the Guardian notes. UAE climate change envoy and head of renewables company Masdar and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) Sultan Al Jaber (LinkedIn) is the front runner for a hat tip, the outlet tells us.
Davos will set the stage for COP28: A preliminary agreement will be signed between the COP28 host country the UAE and the World Economic Forum (WEF) next week in Davos, WEF President Borgan Brende said (watch, runtime 11:03). Details are unclear, but the agreement is said to support new technologies in power and electricity generation globally, according to Brende.
Also, an Amazonian COP30 is in play: Brazil’s new President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva officially launched a bid for the country to host the summit in 2025 in its Amazonian city of Belem, Reuters reports.
PSA- Plastic’s days are numbered in the UAE: The UAE will enforce a nationwide ban on single-use plastics by 2024, The National reports. From 1 January 2024, the use of plastic bags of any kind will be prohibited and the import of all plastic materials will be outlawed by 2026.
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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-
UAE renewable energy firm Masdar will host Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week from Saturday, 14 January to Saturday, 21 January. The event will gather eight presidents and prime ministers and 30k participants in a series of conferences and summits including the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Forum, the World Future Energy Summit, Masdar’s Green Hydrogen Summit, The International Renewable Energy Agency’s Youth Forum, and the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum.
The UAE is hosting the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Forum on Saturday, 14 January and Sunday, 15 January in Abu Dhabi. The forum will discuss the ongoing global energy crisis and its impact on the green transition, energy security, and decarbonization.
Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.