The rise of climate action in the Middle East over the last few months has
brought climate change into the limelight like never before. Yet it has also
raised more questions than it has answered.
اضافة اعلان
Growing climate
ambitions together with the commitment by Egypt and the UAE to host the next two UN climate summits, COP27 and COP28,
have signaled a greater interest in climate change in the fossil fuel-rich
region.
Some encouraging
signs have been observed since 2021, including the launch of Saudi Arabia’s
Middle East Green Initiative — which aims to reduce carbon emissions, restore
200 million hectares, and grow 50 billions trees — and the improved
coordination between Arab states during climate negotiations.
However, real
collective efforts remain elusive. Additionally, regional powers such as Saudi
Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Israel, and the UAE are engaged in a multidimensional
game of chess in which climate diplomacy has one of the lowest values on the
board.
Without
cooperation and policy coordination, each country would have to face climate
change impacts alone. Such impacts could, in turn, lead to more tensions
between communities within and between countries, creating a downward spiral.
One way to
escape this alarming scenario and to circumvent poor policy coordination is
through technical research and knowledge-sharing. The Middle East shares
similar environmental, geographical, and ecological features, and is struggling
with the same urbanization and socio-economic trends.
Research on
emissions reduction, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and cost-effective
energy storage systems is also in the region’s common interest. Solar power,
for example — already established as a critical component in the energy
transition away from fossil fuel — faces unique environmental challenges in the
region, including reduced output due to extreme heat and the presence of dust
on solar panels. Similarly, research into construction materials and techniques
that reduce demand for cooling in existing buildings is crucial in a region
where air-conditioning accounts for the majority of electricity demand.
Without cooperation and policy coordination, each country would have to face climate change impacts alone. Such impacts could, in turn, lead to more tensions between communities within and between countries, creating a downward spiral.
Similarly, the
emergence of blue and green hydrogen as an energy source for high temperature
industries, shipping, and freight, and the European need to import hydrogen
from beyond its borders, is an opportunity for the region to collaborate on an
energy transition that builds on its existing oil and gas knowledge and
infrastructures while delivering on global climate goals.
A regional climate
and sustainability innovation center that coordinates interdisciplinary
research focused on Middle Eastern challenges could become a reference point
for many of these solutions. Focusing on solutions and staffed by regional
scientists and experts, the innovation center should be based in the region but
overseen and funded by international organizations such as the Global Center
for Adaptation, U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, or the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It is also
envisaged that it would establish partnerships with science and technology
universities across the region to maximize its impact on technology innovation
and knowledge-sharing between regional countries and other participants.
A successful
example of such a concept and a research center that can be used as a model is
the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle
East, a cooperative venture by material scientists from Egypt, Iran,
Israel, Jordan, and Turkey, under the auspices of UNESCO. The center — known as
a synchrotron due to its use of a high-intensity light and a proven scientific
tool for investigating matter — was established in Jordan in 2017, and is
expected to produce research that has applications in sectors as diverse as
medicine, archaeology, and environmental sciences. The center also provides
training to foster scientific and technological excellence across the region.
For such a
journey, Middle Eastern countries need to coordinate policy and recognize that
the common challenges they face could eclipse any interests they seek to
advance by perpetuating the current state of conflict and tension.
Notwithstanding the legitimacy of their claims and grievances, the sooner the
region comes to this recognition the better. In the meantime, researchers
should get busy developing solutions and building trust.
Karim Elgendy is an urban sustainability and climate
consultant based in London, and a non-resident fellow at the Middle East
Institute.
Hamid Pouran is the program leader for MSc
Sustainability and Climate Change at the University of Wolverhampton. The opinions
expressed in this piece are their own.
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