TODAY: Oman’s mega e-waste recycling facility kicks off
Good morning, friends. The news cycle has picked up with several climate stories emerging from across the region, with a focus on Oman…
THE BIG CLIMATE STORIES- Operations have kicked off at Oman’s 20k ton per year e-waste recycling plant, The Evergreen Gulf Recycling Hub, and the sultanate launches operations at a 17 MW solar power plant to power its Sur desalination facility.
^^ We have the details on these stories and more in the news well, below.
THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- The UK plans to mandate annual North Sea oil licenses: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to use King Charles speech to Parliament on the country’s legislative agenda today to set out a bill mandating yearly awards for oil and gas drilling rights in the North Sea. The move would set a fixed period between licensing rounds and create certainty for the oil industry during the green energy transition while minimizing reliance on “hostile foreign regimes” such as Russia. Greenpeace dismissed the plan as “backward-facing” and vowed to take the government to court if it moves forward with the strategy.
The story grabbed headlines in the international press: Reuters | The Guardian | BBC | Bloomberg | The Washington Post | Financial Times
WATCH THIS SPACE #1- Shell is re-prioritizing green investments: Shell will no longer “pretend to lead” in parts of the energy transition where it did not have the right competencies, taking on a “selective” approach instead, Shell CEO Wael Sawan told The Financial Times. “In transport and industry we already have a significant market share there, and we think it is only natural for us to lead as we support the decarbonisation of those sectors,” Sawan said, adding that Shell will focus its low-carbon spending on projects such as EV charging, biofuels, and carbon capture and storage, while taking a partnership approach in renewable investments. According to Sawan, the new plan does not take away from the company’s goals to become a “multi-energy” company or reach net-zero by 2050.
REMEMBER- Shell said it is axing 15% of its workforce at its Low Carbon Solutions unit in 2024, a week after CEO Wael Sawan said he will change the company’s approach to carbon neutrality to go in line with its “ruthless” focus on performance. The shift in focus has already led several senior executives to leave the company’s green divisions in the past six months, according to FT.
WATCH THIS SPACE #2- Only 4% of the world's largest listed companies’ climate pledges meet UN guidelines for net-zero emissions by 2050, Reuters reports, citing independent data consortium Net Zero Tracker. Nearly half of the world’s biggest 2k listed companies have set zero emissions goals by mid-century. Of the companies that have set targets, roughly 37% have goals that cover Scope 3 emissions and 13% have a quality threshold for using carbon offsets.
HELP SUPPORT GAZANS-
Want to support relief efforts in Gaza, but don’t know how? We’ve got you. More than a mn people in Gaza have been thrown from their homes and every human being there lacks access to food, water, and fuel amid the most intense bombardment any population has endured this century. The charities we’re listing below are regional organizations working on Gaza relief that we think you can trust if you want to make a donation.
#1- Egyptian Red Crescent Society is one of the nation’s leading providers of humanitarian and emergency medical services. The Egypt Red Crescent accepts donations in EGP online and is on Fawry with the service code 99981. You can also donate to the organization through this Banque du Caire account: 49/403/30 (EGP) or 1065/601/30 (USD — code: BCAIEGCX030).
#2- The Emirates Red Crescent Authority has launched the Tarahum — For Gaza campaign and is accepting donations online via What’s App, SMS, Apple Pay, credit card, or bank transfer to ADIB (AE370500000000020000417).
#3- The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has launched the Sahem campaign accepting donations via their website, mobile apps on Apple Store and Google Play, or bank transfer to Al Rajhi Bank (SA5580000504608018899998).
#4- UNICEF has been on the ground in Gaza since the start of the crisis, providing urgent supplies and aid. You can donate to the agency directly in your local currency using your credit card here.
ALSO- The folks at Talabat are processing donations for a range of Gaza relief appeals by charities including the Egyptian Food Bank, Misr El Kheir and the Emirates Red Crescent Authority’s Tarahum campaign. You can make the donation via the Talabat app using your credit card.
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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-
Turkey will host the GCC-Türkiye Economic Forum from Saturday 11 November to Monday, 13 November in Istanbul. The forum aims to bring together key ministers and state officials from the Gulf countries and Turkey to explore areas of potential investments and commercial ties and to establish a network for joint projects in the energy, defense, banking, retail, and transportation sectors. The event is organized by the Gulf Research Center and Turkey’s International Cooperation Platform.
The UAE will host the MENA Solar Conference from Wednesday, 15 November to Saturday, 18 November in Dubai. The event will focus on all things photovoltaic, with a full programme on PV materials and devices, future technologies, PV reliability, and forecasting for performance assessment. The conference will also touch on how developments in system operations, concentrated solar power, and grid integration are necessary for the green transition. This will be the first scientific and technical conference specializing in solar energy systems in the region.
The UAE will host the Aviation and Alternative Fuels conference from Monday, 20 November to Friday, 24 November in Dubai. The event will bring together senior government officials and international organizations to assess progress in the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and lower-carbon aviation fuel (LCAF) measured according to the targets outlined in the 2050 Vision for SAF, agreed upon at the last Aviation and Alternative Fuels conference in 2017.
The UAE will host the Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) from Monday, 27 November to Thursday, 30 November in Abu Dhabi. The event will gather government officials, banks, financial institutions, and VCs to delve into today’s economic, technological, and sustainability conversations.
Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.