Highlights and images for 15 November 2016

Morocco

  1. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Side Events

Summary


IISD Reporting Services - GCC - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

IISD Reporting Services has provided coverage of selected GCC Pavilion events at the Marrakech Climate Change Conference, including written, digital and video coverage.

The following event was covered on Tuesday, 15 November 2016:

Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
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Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Contributions to
the Development of Clean Technology InnovationPresented by the GCC

This side event, moderated by Abdulaziz Al-Jodai, the International Energy Agency’s Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme and Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), focused on efforts in the GCC to innovate clean technologies to address carbon emissions.

Mohammed Al Hajji, Saudi Aramco, spoke about his company’s work on achieving environmental sustainability through clean energy technology development. He outlined the process of cleaning gas using amine sweeteners, and drew attention to hydraulic energy recovery skids, which are used to recover and reuse “waste energy.” He noted that this energy can power more than 4,000 homes, and enhance the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas sector.

Badr Alharbi, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), spoke on the state of global atmospheric CO2 and methane levels and implications for projected climate impacts in GCC countries, noting that the current emissions trajectory will lead to a more than 2°C temperature rise. He shared that the Earth’s temperature could increase by 1.5°C in ten years, underscoring that each year from 2004 has been warmer than the last, which has meant a 1-2°C temperature increase in the Arabian Peninsula. He noted various negative impacts of temperature rise, stressing that even in the best case scenario, temperature rise in the Arabian Peninsula will be unprecedented.

Boon Ooi, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), spoke on next generation energy efficient lighting, noting that Saudi Arabia is investing in research and development of laser lighting technologies. He drew attention to the energy savings from laser lighting as compared to LEDs, noting that focused laser beams can be used for light without producing heat. He said that while it is now possible to use a beam mixer to create white light bulbs, this area needs further work to make these light bulbs more efficient, and noted challenges related to high power solid-state lighting, including the cost and the need for more research.

In the ensuing discussion, participants addressed the safety concerns related to laser lighting, disposal of laser lighting material concerns.

Panel (L-R): Abdulaziz Al-Jodai, IEAGHG and SABIC; Mohammed Al Hajji, Saudi Aramco; Badr Alharbi, KACST;
and Boon Ooi, KAUST

Boon Ooi, KAUST, introduced “Li-Fi,” which he described as lighting technology that is combined with the internet to produced high speed internet and lighting concurrently.

Abdulaziz Al-Jodai, IEAGHG and SABIC

Badr Alharbi, KACST, noted that Saudi Arabia will experience more warming than other GCC countries, highlighting that by 2031 warming will be more than 2 degrees Celsius.

Mohammed Al Hajji, Saudi Aramco, underscored that skid technology will be used in two new project to capture almost 9 megawatts, and noted that this game-changing technology could influence other clean technology innovations in the world.

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Funding for coverage of GCC COP 22 Side Events has been provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Resource for the GCC Side Events

Resources for the Marrakech Climate Change Conference - November 2016

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Participants

Negotiating blocs
African Union