Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development

COP28: Diplomatic opportunities and challenges for the UAE

Dr. Frederic Schneider

Mitigating climate change is vital to the country's economy, society, and national security. COP28 is the UAE's greatest diplomatic opportunity bring about a historic sea change in global climate policy and to establish itself as a diplomatic powerhouse. Most importantly, the country has the unique chance to lead the green revolution in the region, for example, with pioneering policies like carbon pricing, divestment initiatives from fossil fuels, and a moratorium on fossil fuel extraction investments.

2022 Arab Region SDG Index and Dashboard Report

Moustafa Bayoumi, Mari Luomi, Grayson Fuller, Aisha Al-Sarihi, Fadi Salem and Seppe Verheyen

Where Are the Leaders? Analysis of the COP 25 Climate Change Conference

Dr Mari Luomi

This AGDA Insight explains the significance of COP 25 by placing it in two contexts: first, the context of expectations, both set by science and by the world outside the UN negotiating process; second, that of developed countries’ unmet promises and emerging economies’ discomfort. It starts with a descriptive analysis of COP 25 outcomes and closes with a list of tasks for 2020.

Arab Region SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2019

Mari Luomi, Grayson Fuller, Lara Dahan, Karina Lisboa Båsund, Eve de la Mothe Karoubi and Guillaume Lafortune

The Arab Region SDG Index and Dashboards are intended as a tool for governments and other stakeholders to measure progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to highlight gaps in both implementation and data. The 2019 Arab Region SDG Index is the first in its kind and is therefore also intended as a conversation-opener about priority areas, policies and actions.

GEAR Series: Advancing the Sustainable Energy Agenda: Governance and Cooperation in the Arab Region

Dr Deepti Mahajan Mittal

The Insight argues that a two-pronged approach is needed to enhance regional governance of sustainable energy: expanding and deepening the scope of ‘issues’ and the strengthening of governance ‘processes’. The former requires countries to work through regional governance institutions to: further energy data and information management; co-develop infrastructure projects; and cooperate on technology research and development, and sustainable technology finance. The latter calls for increased accountability as well as consideration of diverse energy constituencies.

GEAR Series: Regional Water Governance and Cooperation in the Arab Region

Dr Waleed K. Al-Zubari

This AGDA Insight presents and analyses the existing regional water governance framework and current regional cooperation initiatives aimed at tackling the Arab region’s immense water challenges. It provides a number of recommendations to enhance regional cooperation to achieve sustainable water management and ultimately to serve and support sustainable development in the Arab region.

GEAR Series: Governance and Cooperation over Food and SDG 2 in the Arab Region

Dr Martin Keulertz and Dr Rabi Mohtar

This AGDA Insight examines gaps in addressing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, on zero hunger, in the Arab region and provides recommendations on how to leverage the potential of regional governance and cooperation in four key areas: trade, technological innovation and investments, subsidies and diets.

Breakthrough of Hydrogen Technologies until 2030: Chances and Risks for Gulf Countries, International Policy Implications

Dr Axel Michaelowa and Sonja Butzengeiger

This AGDA Insight provides an overview of the current global climate and energy policies, the state of hydrogen technologies and demand today and until 2030. From this, it derives recommendations for how Gulf countries could position themselves in the emerging hydrogen markets, also with a view to economic diversification.

GEAR Series: Climate Change Governance and Cooperation in the Arab Region

Dr Aisha Al-Sarihi and Dr Mari Luomi

This AGDA Insight explores ways in which advancing regional governance and cooperation can play a role in helping Arab countries address the challenge of climate change, and progress towards the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.

‘Excellence in Implementation’: The UAE Model in Reaching the Global Agenda 2030

H.E. Abdulla Nasser Lootah

In this AGDA Reflection, H.E. Lootah outlines the UAE model for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) nationally and globally, in cooperation with multiple stakeholders.

Environmental Security: Addressing Water and Climate Change Risks in the UAE

Dr Mari Luomi

This Working Paper examines the drivers and consequences of environmental insecurity for the UAE and puts forward suggested actions for the government at the domestic, regional and global levels on how to enhance environmental security, particularly with regards to water scarcity and climate change.

Universities and Sustainable Development in the Arab Region

Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs

In this AGDA Reflection, Prof. Sachs argues that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer an important opportunity for the Arab region to reposition its universities to be among the global leaders.

FRET Series: International Cooperation on SDG 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy for All

Dr Johannes Urpelainen

This AGDA Insight maps the challenges and opportunities related to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 for the UAE and other GCC countries. International collaborations and commercial opportunities outside the GCC can help the Gulf countries reap reputational, technological and economic benefits from the quest for low-carbon energy and universal energy access under increasingly stringent carbon constraints.

FRET Series: Regional Electricity Cooperation in the GCC

Laura El-Katiri

This AGDA Insight examines the benefits of a developing a regional market for electricity trade across the GCC. It also identifies enabling factors that could help the GCC countries establish an increasingly dynamic market space, including: diversifying the regional energy mix; harmonizing national regulations and organisational structures; unbundling national power sectors; and expanding grid capacity.

FRET Series: Bilateral Energy Diplomacy in a Time of Energy Transition

Dr Steven Griffiths

This AGDA Insight provides an overview and analysis of bilateral energy diplomacy as a foreign policy tool. The strategic objectives of bilateral energy diplomacy for GCC countries are analysed and then considered specifically within the context of the UAE. The UAE case study yields foreign policy conclusions and recommendations that serve as useful guidance for all hydrocarbon-exporting countries.

FRET Series: The Foreign Relations of Energy Transitions – Framing the Issue for the UAE

Dr Mari Luomi

This AGDA Insight is the first in a series of four briefing papers that examine the ‘foreign relations of energy transitions’ from the UAE’s perspective. This paper frames the overall challenge for the UAE and other Gulf Arab energy exporters which, due to structural similarities, will be facing many of the same external challenges. It also looks at the UAE’s own domestic energy transition and explores how the UAE is currently positioned in the global energy transition.

Time for Strong Partnerships for the SDGs

Rt Hon Helen Clark, Patron of the Helen Clark Foundation, Former New Zealand Prime Minister and Former UNDP Administrator

In this AGDA Reflection, Helen Clark describes the kinds of partnerships that are needed for the SDGs to succeed. These should be built at different levels and by diverse stakeholders, and they should enable both financing and implementation.

West Asia Regional Cooperation on Water and Sustainable Development Goal 6

Dr Mohamed Abdelraouf

This AGDA Insight focuses on the status of cooperation of shared water resources and its link to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 (‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’) in the Arab West Asian countries. It argues that water diplomacy could play a role in bringing countries and stakeholders together to develop policies and practices for optimal utilisation of the region’s shared water resources.

Enabling Leadership from the UAE’s Private Sector on Global Climate Action

Mashael Al Ansari and Dr Mari Luomi

This AGDA Insight provides an overview of existing climate action taken by the UAE’s private sector and introduces the government’s approach towards encouraging private sector engagement in this area. It also puts forward suggestions for the government on further ways to incentivise climate action by the UAE’s private sector by leveraging the various international dimensions of these companies’ operations.

Engaging Gulf Non-state and Subnational Actors in Implementing the Paris Agreement

Tanzeed Alam and Dr Mari Luomi

This Working Paper explores ways in which non-state and subnational actors in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries can help in implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change. It puts forward a series of action-oriented recommendations for both GCC non-state and subnational actors and governments.

Leveraging Market Mechanisms for Climate Change Mitigation in the UAE and the Gulf Region

Dr Mari Luomi

This AGDA Insight provides an overview of recent developments around international market mechanisms for greenhouse gas emission reductions and analyses their relevance for GCC countries, in particular the UAE.

Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals – Early Experiences in the Arab Region

Dr Mari Luomi

This AGDA Insight highlights efforts by Arab countries to date in enhancing the frameworks for regional and domestic governance for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and suggests areas for further emphasis.

Global Governance of Carbon Capture and Storage: Role for the GCC?

Robin Mills

This AGDA Insight examines the global governance of carbon capture and storage (CCS): how it operates today, how it may be strengthened to advance this important climate technology, and what role the UAE and other GCC states should play.

The Age of Renewable Energy Diplomacy

Adnan Z. Amin, IRENA Director-General

In this AGDA Reflection, Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), reflects on how the rise of renewables will change the geopolitical landscape for the better, and how diplomats can make the most of the age of renewable energy.

The UAE/Saudi Arabia–East Asia Energy Relations: Towards More Dynamic and Diverse

Dr Makio Yamada

This Insight explores the changing patterns of energy relations between the UAE/Saudi Arabia and East Asian countries.

Synergies between Global Food Security and Climate Goals: Recommendations for Gulf Countries’ Foreign Trade, Investments and Aid

Dr Mari Luomi

This policy brief suggests measures that GCC countries could adopt in their foreign policies, drawing from international best practices and knowledge on the interlinkages between food security and climate change.

GCC States and Energy Pricing Reform: Building and Using International Frameworks of Cooperation

Tom S. H. Moerenhout

This working paper analyses existing international frameworks of cooperation on energy pricing reform, from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries’ perspective, focusing in particular on norm-creation in an international policy setting and technical assistance to domestic reforms, and makes related policy recommendations.

Financing Sustainable Development through Development Cooperation: Role for Arab Donors

Dr Mari Luomi

This Insight explores ways in which development cooperation donors can support the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA). It makes suggestions regarding how the GCC, as well as other ‘emerging’ donors, could support the implementation of the AAAA through their development cooperation policies and measures, and strengthen their role in shaping the new international framework for development cooperation and finance.

Global Trends in Oil and Energy: Implications for the GCC and Foreign Policy Responses

Dr Mari Luomi

This AGDA Insight examines how global energy markets are evolving, what this could mean for Gulf oil exporters, and how these countries could respond through the means of foreign policy. It draws from discussions, and presentations by Dr Bassam Fattouh of the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, at an energy stakeholder workshop held at the AGDA in May 2017.

Food and Foreign Policy: Options for the UAE and Other Import-Dependent Countries

Dr Mari Luomi

This Working Paper examines different ways in which food and foreign policy interact, and highlights important issue linkages and lessons learned from past and present experience, with a particular emphasis on the United Arab Emirates.

Preparing 21st Century Diplomats: AGDA’s Experience with Immersive Training in Climate Change Negotiations

Dr Mari Luomi and Asma Al Blooshi (Eds.)

This booklet shares the experiences of the course that the AGDA offered to its postgraduate diploma students on UN climate change negotiations in 2016. The course experimented with a mix of preparatory and immersive training, and included participation in the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh.

United States’ Energy and Climate Policy under President Trump: Ramifications for Energy Markets and the GCC

Dr Jim Krane and Elsie Hung

This AGDA Insight explores how US energy and climate policies could change under the Trump administration, and what implications these could have in the US itself, for energy markets globally and for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

The UN Marrakesh Climate Change Conference: Aligning the UNFCCC with the Post-Paris Era

Dr Mari Luomi

This AGDA Insight evaluates the UN Marrakesh Climate Change Conference’s outcomes and looks at expectations going forward. It also suggests how the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states could support global climate action in ways that also promote economic diversification and regional cooperation.

Tackling CO2 Emissions from International Aviation: Challenges and Opportunities Generated by the Market Mechanism ‘CORSIA’

Dr Axel Michaelowa

This AGDA Insight analyses the challenges and opportunities of the CORSIA and its implications for countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and their airlines. It makes recommendations to the UAE government and relevant ministry officials with regards to the CORSIA’s implementation.

Operationalising and Implementing the Paris Agreement: Issues of Interest for the GCC Countries

Dr Mari Luomi

This AGDA Insight examines some of the key actions required to operationalize and implement the Paris Agreement. It provides a brief assessment of the progress made by countries so far in 2016 and of expectations going forward, and explores related opportunities and challenges for the Gulf Cooperation Council states.

Global Governance of the Energy-Climate Nexus: Towards National Engagement Strategies

Dr Mari Luomi

This working paper takes an actor-centric approach to the issue of global governance of energy and climate change in the post-2015 era by asking: (1) what kind of a global institutional landscape is currently governing the energy-climate nexus; and (2) how can states most efficiently engage with it?

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change – Implications for the UAE

Dr Mari Luomi

This AGDA Insight unpacks the Paris Agreement, discussing its role in the global response to climate change, and presenting some of the agreements key elements. It also includes an initial consideration of the direct and indirect implications of the Paris Agreement for the UAE.