Dr Nawal Al-Hosany is permanent representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency
December 27, 2021
At the start of 2021, I said that renewable energy had a big year ahead. Now, as we reach the end of the year, this has turned out to be something of an understatement – although, it is easy to be wise after the event.
As we stand on the precipice of 2022, and face down the possibility that we rather might be about to enter ‘2020 two’, we must double down on the commitments, pledges and actions taken in this extraordinary year to ensure that we pragmatically transition to a world powered by renewable and clean energy solutions.
The last 12 months have tested the reserves of human innovation and tried the resilience of the renewables sector in equal measure. Both have come up trumps. And both – humanity and renewable energy – must move forward, hand in hand, drawing strength and support from each other to forge a more sustainable future for all.
From the US rejoining the Paris Agreement to a burst of net-zero strategies from the Gulf states, through to the UNFCC’s selection of the Emirates to host Cop28 in 2023, it has been a year that has delivered on some key promises. At the same time, it has also seen leaders, governments and industries demonstrate a critical awareness that so much more still needs to be done if we are to “keep 1.5 alive” – that is, preserve the goal of no more than a 1.5ºC temperature rise, as the slogan of Cop26 in Glasgow said.
We should enter the new year not with fear or trepidation, but with confidence and optimism. A brief review of what we achieved in the face of unprecedented adversity should show why.
Despite the seismic impact of the pandemic, our world got greener and more efficient, as renewable energy stepped up to the plate. Industry got cleaner. Technology got smarter. Climate action became more urgent.
Across, 2021 we’ve seen electricity generated from solar panels, wind turbines and other renewable sources accelerating faster than ever, across the world. The latest findings from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) show that 2021 could set a new all-time record for the number of new global renewable energy installations.
In fact, current projections show that newly installed renewable energy capacity is set to reach almost 300 gigawatts this year – up from 260 in 2020, which set the record at the time.
Last year, more than 80 per cent of all new electricity capacity was renewable, with solar and wind accounting for 91 per cent of new renewables. In the next five years, we are looking at 95 percent of all new electricity capacity coming from renewable solutions.
The UAE is set to host Cop28 in 2023. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
Last year, more than 80 per cent of all new electricity capacity was renewable
These numbers are revealing. After almost two years of adjusting to the new demands placed on society by the pandemic, it has both exposed the deeply entrenched vulnerabilities of the current energy system, and served as a wake-up call to any leader who has been sleepwalking their way into this climate crisis.
Now, as governments face the complicated balancing act of controlling the health emergency while introducing major stimulus packages, we must have an eye on the future. We must align the short-term interests of overcoming a fresh wave of Covid-19 with the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.
This is progress and reason to be cautiously optimistic that the transition we desperately need is underway. I say “cautiously” because we know two things for certain.
First, deployment of renewable solutions across key industrial sectors must accelerate if we are to achieve net-zero emissions by the middle of the century. Second, the global energy transition must be inclusive and equitable.
This second point is a message that cannot be emphasised enough. One of the real highlights of Cop26 this year was seeing leaders like Barbados’s Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, shift the climate action spotlight onto small island and developing states.
Her message that “no one is safe until everyone is safe”, though rooted in the global response to the pandemic, is one that should have applied to the climate crisis long before the virus emerged. It is for this reason that initiatives like the Energy Transition Accelerator Financing Platform are critical. Launched by the UAE and Irena at Cop26, the platform aims to secure up to $1 billion in funding to accelerate the transition to renewable energy in developing countries by financing 1.5 gigawatts of new renewable energy by 2030. The power of partnerships must be harnessed. Because no one is safe until everyone is safe.
So, what should we expect to see in 2022? In three words: partnerships, technology and finance.
Whether it’s green hydrogen technologies under the UAE Green Hydrogen Leadership Roadmap, pioneering partnerships in the joint US-UAE AIM for Climate (AIM4C) initiative, or investing in the talent, the youth and – as my previous writings in these pages have emphasised – the women who will lead the way to realising the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, balancing these priorities will be critical to navigating towards a greener 2022 successfully.
New UK refugee system
A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
Age
$250 a month
$500 a month
$1,000 a month
25
$640,829
$1,281,657
$2,563,315
35
$303,219
$606,439
$1,212,877
45
$131,596
$263,191
$526,382
55
$44,351
$88,702
$177,403
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors Power: 639hp Torque: 1,130Nm Transmission: Single-speed automatic Touring range: 591km Price: From Dh412,500 On sale: Deliveries start in October
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
