TODAY: Morocco is eyeing a sizable EV charging station expansion by 2028 + A US-Chinese delegation is exploring a green alliance with KSA
Good morning, wonderful people. The news cycle has slowed in a mid-week slump, but we still have a few stories to dive into.
THE BIG CLIMATE STORY- Morocco will add 2.5k EV charging points over the next three years and double the number to 5k stations by 2028 at a total cost of USD 140 mn. Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, a US-Chinese delegation is on a visit to the kingdom to explore establishing a Riyadh-based global alliance of multinational companies to invest in the green economy and efforts to reach net zero.
^^ We have the details on these stories and more in the news well, below.
THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- Heads of state gather in Paris for UN treaty talks on ending plastic pollution: Debate is growing between countries and the petrochemicals industry on curbing plastic production as UN-brokered talks began in Paris yesterday in a bid to agree on a global treaty that would bring an end to plastic pollution. Ahead of the talks, many countries said the agreement should focus on circularity to eliminate the need for the production of new plastic products, while members of the petrochemicals industry say the focus should be on recycling. The 55-nation High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution is demanding a strong treaty that puts limitations on particularly hazardous materials and bans on plastic products that could be difficult to recycle.
OUR SOUNDBITE OF CHOICE- “Recycling infrastructure is unable to cope with today’s volumes. Waterfalls of virgin plastic are cascading into the system at one end. Our recycling systems are akin to running around with pots at the other end, catching only a fraction of this torrent to put back into the system. Simply investing in bigger pots and more people to carry them will not fix the problem. Only a determined elimination of unnecessary plastic, a full redesign of the products that we envelop in plastic and a full market transformation that drastically reduces the flow of virgin plastics can do that,” UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said at the opening plenary of the second meeting of the intergovernmental negotiating committee.
REMEMBER- The UN Environment Program outlined a plan to reduce the world’s plastic waste levels by nearly 80% in less than two decades earlier this month. The report — released two weeks before the talks in Paris — champions policy shifts geared toward keeping produced goods in circulation for as long as possible under “reuse, recycling, and alternative materials” strategies.
The story made the rounds yesterday: Reuters | Bloomberg | France 24 | Deutsche Welle Washington Post.
OVER IN COPLAND- OPEC has expressed its “unwavering support” for the UAE’s COP28 presidency and President-Designate Sultan Al Jaber, according to a statement. OPEC said that Al Jaber’s experience in leading the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and UAE renewables player Masdar “should be viewed as a recipe for successfully enabling inclusive and fair discussions at COP28, with the UAE best suited to make it a COP of action and results.” The show of support comes amid calls by some in the West to replace the top oil executive as COP28 president over his ties to the fossil fuel industry.
ALSO- The UAE plans to host over 150 heads of state and 1.2k officials during COP28 this year, Zawya reports, citing statements by organizers. The event’s world leaders summit will be held on 1-2 December, while side sessions covering a range of topics like funding, transport, health, and cities will start on 3 December until the event concludes, Anca Westley, head of Event Strategy and Sponsorship at COP28, was quoted as saying.
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THE DANGER ZONE- Methane is on the rise in the UAE: High concentrations of methane (CH4) — a potent greenhouse gas — have been caught by satellites over the UAE, according to a study (pdf) by researchers at Khalifa University published in Frontiers in Environmental Science. Satellite data shows CH4 concentrations rising rapidly over the last five years. The largest concentrations are in coastal regions, where sabkhas and landfills are present, and along the Al Hajar mountains, where agricultural activities and microhabitats exist. The rising methane levels in the UAE are twice as high as those in the Arctic and Argentina, the study showed.
Why this matters: Methane absorbs roughly 80 times more energy over a 20-year period than the same mass of carbon dioxide, the study showed, contributing heavily to a warming planet.
No surprise here: “Landfill sites and industrial sites in general are the most significant contributors to anthropogenic emissions and, therefore, they are the key sources to focus on when it comes to strategies towards net-zero targets,” Diana Francis, one of the study’s authors and assistant professor in earth sciences at Khalifa University, told The National.
CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-
The UAE will host The Arab Green Summit on Tuesday, 13 June to Wednesday, 14 June in Dubai. The two-day summit will bring together industry players and experts for conversations on climate change and sustainability and solutions for concurrent climate-related issues in the region. Key themes to be addressed during the summit include industry decarbonization, renewable and clean energy potential and implementation, sustainable building and construction and others.
Morocco will host the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Africa on Tuesday, 13 June to Wednesday, 14 June in Marrakech. The event will bring together stakeholders from the private and public sector to discuss the world’s most pressing topics and assess potential solutions. Those include the impact of a decelerating global economy, spiking food and energy prices, supply-chain shocks and risks of distress among sovereign borrowers.
Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.