Good morning, friends. We have a meaty issue for you this morning, with news across a range of sectors in our neck of the woods and on a global level.

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY- UAE state-owned renewable energy giant Masdar has signed an agreement with Indonesia’s utility company PLN Nusantara Power to develop a 500 MW floating solar photovoltaic plant (FPV) in Indonesia.

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- Indonesia launches its carbon trading market: Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo formally kicked off operations on his country’s first voluntary carbon credits market yesterday as part of state plans to become carbon-neutral by 2060 and become a major global carbon allowances trading hub. The maiden carbon transactions yesterday — 13 carbon credits offsetting about 460k metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent — were priced at 69.6k IDR (c USD 4.49) per unit. Widodo said yesterday that the platform could potentially add some 3 tn IDR (c. USD 194 bn) to the country’s coffers once Indonesia sets emissions caps for industries beyond the power sector, and other companies with net-zero commitments can participate in the market. Banks, government-owned geothermal utility Pertamina, and mining companies were among the buyers yesterday.

The story got some coverage in the international press: Reuters | Bloomberg

ALSO JUMPING ON THE CARBON MARKET WAGON- India will fix carbon emission intensity benchmarks and reduction targets for four fossil fuel-powered sectors and start carbon trading by 2025, Reuters reports, citing unnamed government officials. The country will set reduction targets for three years for companies in iron and steel, cement, petrochemicals, and paper. The companies in these sectors, likely the first to trade on the Indian carbon market, will be able to buy and sell carbon credits by 2025 to meet their reduction targets. If companies exceed their target, they can sell carbon credits to others that have not met their goals.

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AIIB announces climate action plan: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced its Climate Action Plan (pdf) plan during the bank’s annual meetings in Sharm El Sheikh, according to a statement. The plan will help AIIB reach its climate ambitions by 2030. “The Climate Action Plan demonstrates AIIB’s ambition to mobilize our capital, capacity, and convening power to help our members in their efforts to address climate change,” said AIIB President and Chairman of the Board Jin Liqun.

What will they do? The bank plans to tailor climate solutions to individual clients across Asia, taking into consideration members’ income levels and capacity to address climate change, focus on mitigation plans that offer co-benefits for biodiversity and nature conservation, strengthen financing partnerships to mobilize capital for climate projects, and promote innovation efforts in mitigation and adaptation. AIIB also plans to allocate around 50% of its annual financing approvals to climate finance by 2025.

AIIB is already on the climate front: AIIB issued the first Asian adaptation bonds earlier this year. Its cumulative climate finance portfolio hit USD 11.7 bn and has financed 107 projects with climate components, the statement reads.

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WATCH THIS SPACE #1- IFC helping Egypt’s Kandil Steel develop decarbonization program with USD 25 mn loan: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has signed off on a USD 25 mn loan to Egypt’s flat steel manufacturer Kandil Steel to support the company’s expansion plans and help it build a decarbonization roadmap, the multilateral lender said in a statement. The loan, approved preliminarily earlier this year, will “support the company’s operational and financial resilience” by funding working capital and enabling it to continue purchasing raw materials, the statement added. With the help of the IFC loan, the company aims to increase annual production by 60% to 800k tons by the end of 2024, said CEO Amr Kandil. The final decision on the loan was initially scheduled for June, and the companies did not disclose the reasons for the delay.

Kandil has high incentives to green its production as the EU moves forward with restricting imports of heavy emitting goods: The EU is planning to introduce a levy on the import of iron and steel by 2026 as part of its carbon border adjustment mechanism. Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are among the top iron and steel exporting countries, making their transition to green steel crucial for remaining competitive in the global market. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis released a report (pdf) last year outlining the region’s potential to lead the world in green steel production. The iron and steel sectors account for some 7-9% of all direct fossil fuel emissions worldwide.

About Kandil: Kandil is a key player in the local steel industry, ranking among Egypt’s 10 largest steel exporters, and currently shipping to more than 40 countries across the world, according to the statement. The company’s factories in Tenth of Ramadan City and Obour City have the capacity to produce 708k tons of steel a year, and it dominates the local market for galvanized steel products.

WATCH THIS SPACE #2- France calls for a firmer stance on phasing out fossil fuels: France says the EU should set dates by which fossil fuels should be phased out during the COP28 UN climate summit later this year, according to a document seen by Reuters. France is seeking a set timeline as it “would increase the pressure on countries that are reluctant to agree on a phase-out of fossil fuels,” the document read. France urged the EU to ensure emissions-capturing technologies do not delay efforts to phase out fossil fuels. It also cited the EU's Global stocktake report, which states that phasing out all unabated fossil fuels — ones that have no mechanisms to remove the bulk of their emissions — is essential to reach net zero emissions and reduce further climate change damage.

EU countries are split on phasing out fossil fuels: Some EU nations, including France, voiced concern against strict limits on non-CO2-tailpipe emissions. Spain proposed earlier this week a watered-down version of the bloc’s initial Euro 7 draft to extend its initial implementation date of 1 July 2025 for cars and vans to 30 months from the initial two-year deadline. The EU aims to finalize its COP28 negotiating position in mid-October.

Meanwhile, Paris is getting its own ducks in a row: French President Emmanuel Macron laid out a strategy on Monday that aims to meet the mutually-agreed EU target of cutting national greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Under the plan, France will “act twice as fast” in the next seven years, he claimed, curbing emissions at a steeper 5% per year, compared to the 2% it has witnessed over the past five years — and lowering reliance on fossil fuels to 40% from 60%. The strategy includes producing 1 mn climate-friendly heat pumps, producing 1 mn EVs and having four battery plants fully operational, and decommissioning the country’s two remaining coal plants — which produce less than 1% of France’s total energy output — by 2027. France’s 50 most polluting industrial sites — which include the steel, cement, and chemical industries and contribute a total of 10% of France’s overall emissions — will also formally sign to cut emissions by 45% by 2030.

Critics of the roadmap say it’s not enough: Greenpeace France has pointed out that a more ambitious plan would have specified dates for completely phasing out oil and gas, the Associated Press reports, quoting a member of the European Parliament’s Greens alliance as saying “he made the exact same promise five years ago.”

This comes as France is set to host the International Energy Agency (IEA) summit on critical minerals and clean energy this week, which Japan’s Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura is scheduled to attend, Reuters reports. Japan, which faces resource shortages, is looking to strengthen its diplomatic ties as a means to secure metals needed for energy production, particularly batteries used in electric vehicles, as the country works towards a 2050 net carbon neutrality target.

WATCH THIS SPACE #3- IEA says 1.5°C goal is within reach: Reaching net zero emissions and maintaining global warming within the 1.5°C threshold is still within reach due to the growth of renewables and green investments, according to a new IEA report. The IEA's new Net Zero Roadmap, an update from the initial version from 2021, highlights the changes to the clean energy sector in the past two years and the record growth in solar power capacity and electric vehicle sales which are in line with the net zero goals, the report reads.

The new roadmap sets a clear path: “The pathway to 1.5°C has narrowed in the past two years, but clean energy technologies are keeping it open,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. The new report sees global renewable power capacity tripling by 2030, the annual rate of energy efficiency improvements doubling, and the energy sector methane emissions falling by 75%. It also calls for a significant increase in investment, especially in emerging and developing economies, where global clean energy spending rises from USD 1.8 tn in 2023 to USD 4.5 tn annually by the early 2030s.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Adnoc will host its annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (Adipec) Decarbonization Accelerator from 2-5 October at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, where more than 2k local and international oil and gas companies will be showcasing their ideas and perspectives for decarbonizing the industry. Four sector-specific areas — under the titles Decarbonisation, Maritime & Logistics, Digitalisation in Energy, and Manufacturing & Industrialisation — will be designated for networking and partnerships.

Dubai’s MENA Electric Vehicle show begins today at the Radisson RED in DSO’s Dubai Digital Park and wraps tomorrow. The event is connecting stakeholders in the global EV chain and will explore the socioeconomic significance of EV adoption, utilizing them for increased energy independence and economic diversification, governance, and policies pertaining to EVs, strategies for advancing sustainable infrastructure development, and the digital transformation within the e-mobility industry, according to Wam. This event will include key players in the industry such as Tesla, Al Futtaim Automotive, and Talabat, among others.

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