African Union

L-R: Moderator Saleh Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco; Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco; Yasmeen Al-Dawsari, Saudi Aramco; Bader Alnajjar, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company; and Hussain Makki, Bahrain's National Oil and Gas Authority IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ meeting coverage, is providing coverage of selected GCC Pavilion events at the Katowice Climate Change Conference - December 2018, including written, digital and video coverage.The following events were covered by IISD Reporting Services on Monday, 10 December 2018: R&D for Climate Solutions Oil & Gas Technology to Address Climate Change Challenges Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page R&D for Climate Solutions Presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia L-R: Moderator Tidjani Niass, Saudi Aramco; Hussein Hoteit, King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST); and Mani Sarathy, KAUST This side event focused on research and development (R&D) approaches for mitigating climate change in a low-carbon fossil fuel-based economy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. During the event, panelists presented on the work of clean combustion technologies that valorize CO2 and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) as an effective method for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Moderator Tidjani Niass, Saudi Aramco, opened the event, highlighting the importance of R&D activities in promoting energy efficiency and climate mitigation efforts in the GCC region. Mani Sarathy, Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC), KAUST, emphasized the global shift from dirty to clean fuel in the automobile sector and producing clean energy with less CO2 emissions, and presented on the R&D of clean combustion technologies that valorize CO2. Saying that “the best companies want to be innovative, but cannot do it alone,” he pointed to the important role that R&D organizations play in this field, noting the establishment of the Clean Fuel Consortium and Clean Combustion Research Center in Saudi Arabia. Saying that the CCRC’s mission is to create zero carbon combustion technology, he outlined KAUST’s efforts on: improving science-based methods to lower CO2 emissions, including computer-aided engineering; strengthening collaboration with industrial partners, including Saudi Electricity Company, Saudi Aramco R&DC, the Boeing Company, General Electric, Volvo, McLaren Racing, Farabi and Doosan; and burning renewable fuels and hydrogen carriers as chemical energy. Sarathy concluded by emphasizing that improving combustion engines is “not dead,” highlighting that KAUST has demonstrated success in fuel and engine technology deployment, and its upcoming 3.5 year programme to develop very high efficiency engine technologies in 2019. Mohammed Al-Shamsi, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), presented on KACST’s R&D efforts on addressing climate change issues, including renewable energies, energy efficiency, and mitigation and adaptation technologies. He spoke about KACST’s work on solar panel production lines and solar panel installation in various places in Saudi Arabia, including through: solar energy capture from the roofs of several public buildings such as schools, achieving 30-40% of energy cost savings; and a water desalination plant powered by 20MW solar energy to reduce the cost of water production. He then stressed that destructive weather, such as sand storms and an arid environment, has been a challenge to maintain these efforts. Al-Shamsi highlighted KACST’s work to overcome these challenges by developing dust-repellent surfaces by coating materials containing SiO2 particles and nano-coating for energy efficiency glass. He also pointed to the uses of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) to selectively seek and separate carbon dioxide as new climate technology, and said the use of solid MOF saves over 90% of energy usually required to separate CO2 using the traditional amine solutions. He noted recent inventions at KACST related to mitigation and adaptation to climate change, including hydrogen production from heavy oil for fuel cells, and CCUS. Hussein Hoteit, Ali I. Al-Naimi Petroleum Engineering Research Center (ANPERC), KAUST, presented on lessons learned from, and challenges and opportunities for, Saudi Arabia’s CO2-EOR work. Noting that fossil fuels remain a dominant source of energy, he said that current predictions of CO2 emissions growth is far in excess of what is needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. He stressed the CCUS, among other technologies, as a potential viable solution in addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission challenges. He outlined KAUST’s work on CO2 injection in oilfields, which has been recognized as an effective method for EOR. Hoteit said lessons from CO2-EOR provide potential opportunities such as: boosting oil recovery by 5-15%; extending the life of oilfields by 25 years; and reducing CO2 emissions. He also noted challenges remained, including the need for major front-end investment and facility upgrades such as recycling plants, and for addressing significant CO2 cost and low oil sweep efficiency. He then suggested developing Saudi Arabia’s National CCUS Roadmap, which contains a CCUS vision, regional CO2-EOR initiatives, industry-academia engagement in research and a competitive fund programme. He concluded by highlighting the importance of promoting CCUS as a win-win technology for climate mitigation by reducing CO2 emissions while creating business opportunities. In the ensuing discussion, participants considered: potential innovative combustion technologies in R&D organizations; the need to address environmental effect, including water leaking; the difference between nitrogen and CO2 injection technologies; and the challenge of addressing high cost of CO2 capture. Mohammed Al-Shamsi, KACST Moderator Tidjani Niass, Saudi Aramco Mani Sarathy, KAUST Hussein Hoteit, KAUST A participant takes notes during the event A participant asks a question Participants listen to the discussion   Oil & Gas Technology to Address Climate Change Challenges Presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) L-R: Moderator Saleh Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco; Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco; Yasmeen Al-Dawsari, Saudi Aramco; Bader Alnajjar, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company; and Hussein Makki, Bahrain’s National Oil and Gas Authority Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Wednesday, 12 December 2018 This side event, moderated by Saleh Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco, featured four speakers from oil production and regulation entities across Arab petroleum-exporting countries. Presenters addressed proposals and initiatives based in oil and gas technologies to address the many challenges posed by climate change, as well as to help build efficiencies and resilience in oil and gas production.  Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco, presented his company’s Flaring Minimization Program from a historical lens, stating that the programme has significantly reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. He focused on the issue of gas flaring, where flare stacks burn planned amounts of methane and release it into the atmosphere as CO2. He said that the Program’s first phase was the “Master Gas System” phase, which took the gas captured by Saudi Aramco that reduced flaring occurrence to “emergency” situations only. Following this phase came the installation of the “Corporate Flaring Roadmap,” which is a flaring monitoring programme to measure, monitor, mitigate and manage flaring through corporate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Finally, he noted that the “Near-Zero Flaring” programme has deployed technologies to reduce flaring from raw gas production from 1% to 0.5% since 2011, and has been patented and made available to other extraction companies. Yasmeen Al-Dawsari, Saudi Aramco, presented on the ways Saudi Aramco aims to generate profit from CO2 extracted through carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) mechanisms. She argued that, since hydrocarbons must remain part of the global energy mix during the transition to renewables, it is necessary to “strategically create value” from CO2 through such techniques as: CO2 polymerization and mineralization to create materials; the creation of profitable fuels and chemicals; and using it as a working fluid in the place of steam. She also outlined plans for mobile CO2 capture, presenting a proof-of-concept vehicle, which has captured 10% of its emissions. She pointed out that Saudi Aramco’s work on CCUS has led to various scientific and research collaborations with the US as well as with other international partners, which have generated contributions to international journals.  Bader Alnajjar, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), presented on the challenges of environmental protection facing the shipping industry in the area of climate change. He emphasized that the effects of climate change are international and that KOTC has its own contributions to make to the challenge of emission reductions. He argued that shipping remains an economical way of transporting goods around the world, with CO2 emissions from international shipping equal to3% of global emissions. Saying that “we are going to protect the environment because it’s our responsibility,” he pointed out that KOTC fully complies with International Maritime Organization efficiency regulations. Showing examples of how KOTC attempts to exceed these regulations, he discussed initiatives for energy efficiency improvement, including: optimizing engine systems and friction drag on ships; modifying propeller systems for better hydrodynamic efficiency; and installing sophisticated emissions monitoring equipment. Hussain Makki, Bahrain’s National Oil and Gas Authority, presented on “Petroleum Sector Efforts to Meet the Climate Change Issue.” He highlighted that Bahrain’s economic planning emphasizes economic diversification and though the country produces 13.5 million tonnes of oil per year, it exports 88% of its petroleum products. He also alerted participants to the discovery of shale oil and shale gas in the Khaleej Al Bahrain Basin. Makki discussed Bahrain’s GHG mitigation strategy, including investing in high-tech initiatives and transitioning to an energy mix that includes renewable energy. He announced that Bahrain will host the first Middle East CCUS Conference and Exhibition in 2019. He concluded by noting the myriad of climate-related impacts likely to affect Bahrain if climate change is not mitigated, including coral bleaching, mangrove forest decimation and biodiversity concerns, and highlighted efforts to restore mangroves in the area.  In the ensuing conversation, panelists and participants discussed the role of oil and gas in the global energy mix, and the levels of progress for CCUS technologies. Responding to a question about the ethical justification for the continued use of hydrocarbons in light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest reports, panelists could not comment on behalf of their respective governments, but asserted that they continue to support the production of oil and gas as part of the global energy mix. Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco Bader Alnajjar, KOTC Yasmeen Al-Dawsari, Saudi Aramco A slide from Yasmeen Al-Dawsari’s presentation Hussain Makki, Kingdom of Bahrain National Oil and Gas Authority A slide from Hussain Makki’s presentation Moderator Saleh Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco Joseph Kow Essandoh-Yeddu, Ghana Participants during the discussion Participants listen to panelists CONTACT Nejoud Almatrodi | media@ksa-climate.com MORE INFORMATION https://ksa-climate.com/  

Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Saturday, 8 December 2018 IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ meeting coverage, is providing coverage of selected GCC Pavilion events at the Katowice Climate Change Conference - December 2018, including written, digital and video coverage. The following event was covered by IISD Reporting Services on Friday, 7 December 2018: Emission to Value: Creating Value from CO2 Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Emission to Value: Creating Value from CO2 Presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Participants and speakers before the event. L-R: Mona Hasan Kotb Mohamed, Egypt; Magda Shoeib, Egypt; speaker Kuo-Wei Huang, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); and Rana Alghamdi, Saudi Arabia At this event, GCC countries shared their efforts, progress and perspectives on future market potential for CO2 capture, including transportation and conversion into feedstock; value-adding processes; and utilization in a broader range of industries, including chemicals, cement manufacturing, and energy. Moderator Henk Hendrix, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), opened by highlighting that Saudi Arabia’s goal is to exploit CO2 as an opportunity for application industries. Ammar Al-Shehri, Saudi Aramco, presented on Saudi Aramco’s Uthmaniyah Carbon Dioxide Enhanced Oil Recovery (CO2-EOR) Demonstration Project, which focuses on: elaborating a monitoring and surveillance program to determine volumes of sequestered CO2; plume evolution; containment of CO2; and incremental oil recovery. He described the project as a long-term resource planning strategy for the company and an approach to protecting the environment. Al-Shehri explained that CO2 is captured, dehydrated, compressed and transported from an anthropogenic gas plant to the injection site through an 85km pipeline at a rate of 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. He concluded by highlighting that the project has become a platform for innovation and knowledge dissemination in this area. Khalid Al-Bahily, SABIC, suggested designing cost-effective processes for CO2 capture and reuse in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and turn CO2 into a feedstock for valuable products. He said SABIC operates the world’s largest CO2 purification plant, and described technology to produce methanol using a catalyst which reduces the poisoning effect of CO2 on the methanol catalyst. He showed that this technology has allowed the capture of three times more CO2 per ton of methanol produced than through conventional methods. Al-Bahily also explained the use of sulphur, which is readily available in the gulf region in producing sulfuric acid through combination with CO2. He reported that the assessment of energy consumption for this plant has shown a high-energy efficiency. Kuo-Wei Huang, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), highlighted that the current levels of carbon-based fossil fuels, which supply over 81% of the world’s energy demands, continue to compromise efforts towards greenhouse gas reductions. He said that whereas solar is a promising solution to reducing greenhouse gases in the energy sector, solar farms require a large surface area for their operations. This, he noted, may compromise food production, which also requires vast land areas. Huang presented technologies developed at KAUST, using formic acid as an environmentally friendly fuel. This technology, he said, involves rehydrogenation of CO2 to form formic acid, a nontoxic and environmentally benign liquid with low flammability, and thus the existing gasoline infrastructure may be easily adapted for its distribution. He presented the prototype of the world’s first formic acid car, noting that this technology is easily compatible with other power systems, including hydrogen cells and can be designed to provide specific products to meet individual customer and user needs. Tidjani Niass, Saudi Aramco, presented on the company’s Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), a voluntary CEO-led partnership between major oil and gas companies. Noting that Saudi Aramco has a history in environmental stewardship, he outlined potential use of CO2 other than sequestration, including for: daily use, such as for beverages and dry ice; enhanced oil recovery through carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS); polymers; working fluid for power cycles; electrochemical and photochemical CO2 conversions; and carbonates used for construction materials. He concluded by emphasizing that: turning GHG emissions into value is an attractive value proposition; Saudi Aramco is advancing a wide range of CO2 utilization technologies, with investment in research and development (R&D); and more collaboration is needed to develop breakthrough materials and processes to turn emissions into value. Moderator Hendrix suggested that these efforts to create value from CO2 will contribute to a circular economy. In the ensuing discussion, participants considered: the effective ways to take CO2 carbon captures to facilities, such as natural gas stations; economic diversification, citing the SABIC example that produces chemicals for the rest of the world; the usage of existing oil and gas to make CO2 opportunities vs. potential transition to renewables as a way to contribute to energy efficiency and delivering sustainability for all; and the risks and challenges associated with CCUS. Ammar Al-Shehri, Saudi Aramco Khalid Al-Bahily, SABIC Kuo-Wei Huang, KAUST A slide from Kuo-Wei Huang's presentation Tidjani Niass, Saudi Aramco Moderator Henk Hendrix, SABIC Katherine Cooke, Oxford Policy Management Participants listen to the discussion A participant reads the programme of GCC side events A participant asks a question CONTACT Nejoud Almatrodi | media@ksa-climate.com MORE INFORMATION https://ksa-climate.com/  

Highlights for Friday, 7 December 2018 IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ meeting coverage, is providing coverage of selected GCC Pavilion events at the Katowice Climate Change Conference - December 2018, including written, digital and video coverage.The following event was covered by IISD Reporting Services on Friday, 7 December 2018: Emission to Value: Creating Value from CO2 Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Emission to Value: Creating Value from CO2 Presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Participants and speakers before the event. L-R: Mona Hasan Kotb Mohamed, Egypt; Magda Shoeib, Egypt; speaker Kuo-Wei Huang, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); and Rana Alghamdi, Saudi Arabia At this event, GCC countries shared their efforts, progress and perspectives on future market potential for CO2 capture, including: transportation and conversion into feedstock; value-adding processes; and utilization in a broader range of industries, including chemicals, cement manufacturing and energy. Moderator Henk Hendrix, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), opened the event by highlighting that Saudi Arabia’s goal is to exploit CO2 as an opportunity for application industries. Ammar Al-Shehri, Saudi Aramco, presented on Saudi Aramco’s Uthmaniyah Carbon Dioxide Enhanced Oil Recovery (CO2-EOR) Demonstration Project, which focuses on: elaborating a monitoring and surveillance programme to determine volumes of sequestered CO2; plume evolution; containment of CO2; and incremental oil recovery. He described the project as a long-term resource planning strategy for the company and an approach to protect the environment. Al-Shehri explained that CO2 is captured, dehydrated, compressed and transported from an anthropogenic gas plant to the injection site through an 85 km pipeline at a rate of 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. He concluded by highlighting that the project has become a platform for innovation and knowledge dissemination in this area. Khalid Al-Bahily, SABIC, suggested designing cost-effective processes for CO2 capture and reuse to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and turn CO2 into a feedstock for valuable products. He said SABIC operates the world’s largest CO2 purification plant, and described technology to produce methanol using a catalyst that reduces the poisoning effect of CO2 on the methanol catalyst. He showed that this technology has allowed the capture of three times more CO2 per ton of methanol produced than through conventional methods. Al-Bahily also explained the use of sulphur, which is readily available in the gulf region, in producing sulfuric acid in combination with CO2. He reported that the assessment of energy consumption for this plant has shown high energy efficiency. Kuo-Wei Huang, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), highlighted that the current levels of carbon-based fossil fuels, which supply over 81% of the world’s energy demand, continue to compromise efforts towards greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. He said that whereas solar is a promising solution to reducing GHGs in the energy sector, solar farms require a large surface area for their operations. This, he noted, may compromise food production, which also requires vast land areas. Huang presented technologies developed at KAUST, using formic acid as an environmentally-friendly fuel. This technology, he said, involves rehydrogenation of CO2 to form formic acid, a nontoxic and environmentally benign liquid with low flammability, and thus the existing gasoline infrastructure may be easily adapted for its distribution. He presented the prototype of the world’s first formic acid car, noting that this technology is easily compatible with other power systems, including hydrogen cells and can be designed to provide specific products to meet individual customer and user needs. Tidjani Niass, Saudi Aramco, presented on the company’s Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), a voluntary CEO-led partnership between major oil and gas companies that was announced in 2014. Noting that Saudi Aramco has a history of environmental stewardship, he outlined potential use of CO2 other than sequestration, including for: daily use, such as for beverages and dry ice; enhanced oil recovery through carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS); polymers; working fluid for power cycles; electrochemical and photochemical CO2 conversions; and carbonates used for construction materials. He concluded by emphasizing that: turning GHG emissions into value is an attractive value proposition; Saudi Aramco is advancing a wide range of CO2 utilization technologies, with investment in research and development; and more collaboration is needed to develop breakthrough materials and processes to turn emissions into value. Moderator Hendrix suggested that efforts to create value from CO2 will contribute to a circular economy. In the ensuing discussion, participants considered: effective ways to take CO2 carbon capture to facilities, such as natural gas stations; economic diversification, citing the SABIC example that produces chemicals for the rest of the world; usage of existing oil and gas to make CO2 opportunities vs. potential transition to renewables as a way to contribute to energy efficiency and deliver sustainability for all; and risks and challenges associated with CCUS. Khalid Al-Bahily, SABIC Ammar Al-Shehri, Saudi Aramco Kuo-Wei Huang, KAUST A slide from the presentation of Kuo-Wei Huang Tidjani Niass, Saudi Aramco Moderator Henk Hendrix, SABIC Katherine Cooke, Oxford Policy Management Participants listen to the discussion A participant reads the programme of GCC side events A participant asks a question CONTACT Nejoud Almatrodi | media@ksa-climate.com MORE INFORMATION https://ksa-climate.com/

Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Thursday, 6 December 2018 IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ meeting coverage, will provide coverage of selected GCC Pavilion events at the Katowice Climate Change Conference - December 2018, including written, digital and video coverage. The following event was covered by IISD Reporting Services on Wednesday, 5 December 2018: Water and Wastewater Challenges in the Gulf Region Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Water and Wastewater Challenges in the Gulf Region Presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia This side event focused on the water and wastewater challenges of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with panelists and participants highlighting climate adaptation and mitigations efforts to tackle challenges. During the event, panelists illustrated leadership and environmental stewardship in the GCC and its regional adaptation efforts in water conservation and water and wastewater management. Moderator Muhammad Nadeem, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), opened the event by noting that Saudi Arabia is a nation of more than 30 million people facing absolute water scarcity. He emphasized the need to address wastewater challenges, singling out the oil and gas industry as the sector in the country where this challenge is most pressing. Nasser Al-Harbi, Saudi Aramco, stressed that groundwater is a precious resource for Saudi Arabia, and said that Saudi Aramco has long been working on water conservation efforts for a sustainable future. Highlighting the importance of water conservation to climate change adaptation and mitigations efforts, he described Aramco’s efforts, including through developing a water conservation policy and strategy to: maximize wastewater reuse; enhance water supply sustainability; optimize water demand; and minimize water losses. Al-Harbi also explained that his company has developed and strengthened standards and practices that specify the proper methods of treatment and disposal of wastewater, including the Saudi Aramco environmental health code. He concluded with an emphasis on the need to contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction through improving water supply sustainability, saying “water is life, do not waste it.” Himanshu Mishra, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), demonstrated how “super sand mulching” can be an effective solution for growing more food in drylands. This process, he reported, has been derived from nature-inspired translational research. He described how the properties of extreme water repellence of insects inhabiting water surfaces inspired the development of a sand-based mulch that repels water, which they named Super Sand. He reported that Super Sand, composed of common sand and paraffin wax, prevents water loss and evaporation, which enhances plant growth, crop yield, and lowers salt stress. He reported on greenhouse and field experiments with tomato and barley crops in Western Saudi Arabia, which have demonstrated the potential of this approach to improve crop yields by nearly 72% in comparison to the unmulched control cases. He further noted that his laboratory is now producing thousands of kilograms of Super Sand per week to support dryland food production and reported experiments with other crops such as date palms, acacia and broccoli. Innovative agricultural technologies such as these, he stressed, are coherent with the aspirations of Saudi Arabia to reduce agricultural water consumption by approximately 50% and to improve the productivity of high-value crops, as stipulated in the National Transformation Program, also known as known as Vision 2030. Thomas Altmann, ACWA Power, noted that energy is the main cost of desalinization worldwide, and that the direct footprint of desalinization, which stands at 120 million metric tons annually, is expected to grow. Altmann said effectively combining low-carbon, renewable desalination technologies would reduce GHG emissions from desalinization. He emphasized that the use of renewable energy in seawater desalinization plays a vital role in providing a reliable, sustainable and resilient water supply in the Gulf region. He noted that reducing the energy consumption of desalination is a key prerequisite for the deployment of utility-scale renewable-driven desalination plants in the region. Presenting on solar-based desalination technologies, he suggested that concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies are currently the most advanced. CSP desalination head supply systems, he added, could be designed for low temperatures, thus avoiding expensive materials and resulting in significant cost savings compared to CSP for power generation. He said that such efficiencies are an advantage from a business point of view, and noted significant growth in salinization investment due to the falling costs of technologies. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed: the importance of water conservation technologies to help enhance long-term soil nutrient replenishment; opportunities and challenges for supporting the expansion of renewable energy using market mechanisms, including water and energy tariff reforms; and the possible use of sea water for growing rice. Muhammad Nadeem, SABIC Nasser Al-Harbi, Saudi Aramco Himanshu Mishra, KAUST Thomas Altmann, ACWA Power Muna Mahjoub Mohamed Ahmed, Sudan Participants listen to the discussion A participant poses a question A shot of the room during the event CONTACT Nejoud Almatrodi | media@ksa-climate.com MORE INFORMATION https://ksa-climate.com/  

Highlights for Wednesday, 5 December 2018 IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ meeting coverage, will provide coverage of selected GCC Pavilion events at the Katowice Climate Change Conference - December 2018, including written, digital and video coverage. The following event was covered by IISD Reporting Services on Wednesday, 5 December 2018: Water and Wastewater Challenges in the Gulf Region Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Water and Wastewater Challenges in the Gulf Region Presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia This side event focused on the water and wastewater challenges of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with panelists and participants highlighting climate adaptation and mitigations efforts to tackle challenges. During the event, panelists illustrated leadership and environmental stewardship in the GCC and its regional adaptation efforts in water conservation and water and wastewater management. Moderator Mohammad Nadeem, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), opened the event by noting that Saudi Arabia is a nation of more than 30 million people facing absolute water scarcity. He emphasized the need to address wastewater challenges, singling out the oil and gas industry as the sector in the country where this challenge is most pressing. Nasser Al-Harbi, Saudi Aramco, stressed that groundwater is a precious resource for Saudi Arabia, and said that Saudi Aramco has long been working on water conservation efforts for a sustainable future. Highlighting the importance of water conservation to climate change adaptation and mitigations efforts, he described Aramco’s efforts, including through developing a water conservation policy and strategy to: maximize wastewater reuse; enhance water supply sustainability; optimize water demand; and minimize water losses. Al-Harbi also explained that his company has developed and strengthened standards and practices that specify the proper methods of treatment and disposal of wastewater, including the Saudi Aramco environmental health code. He concluded with an emphasis on the need to contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction through improving water supply sustainability, saying “water is life, do not waste it.” Himanshu Mishra, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), demonstrated how “super sand mulching” can be an effective solution for growing more food in drylands. This process, he reported, has been derived from nature-inspired translational research. He described how the properties of extreme water repellence of insects inhabiting water surfaces inspired the development of a sand-based mulch that repels water, which they named Super Sand. He reported that Super Sand, composed of common sand and paraffin wax, prevents water loss and evaporation, which enhances plant growth, crop yield, and lowers salt stress. He reported on greenhouse and field experiments with tomato and barley crops in Western Saudi Arabia, which have demonstrated the potential of this approach to improve crop yields by nearly 72% in comparison to the unmulched control cases. He further noted that his laboratory is now producing thousands of kilograms of Super Sand per week to support dryland food production and reported experiments with other crops such as date palms, acacia and broccoli. Innovative agricultural technologies such as these, he stressed, are coherent with the aspirations of Saudi Arabia to reduce agricultural water consumption by approximately 50% and to improve the productivity of high-value crops, as stipulated in the National Transformation Program, also known as known as Vision 2030. Thomas Altmann, ACWA Power, noted that energy is the main cost of desalinization worldwide, and that the direct footprint of desalinization, which stands at 120 million metric tons annually, is expected to grow. Altmann said effectively combining low-carbon, renewable desalination technologies would reduce GHG emissions from desalinization. He emphasized that the use of renewable energy in seawater desalinization plays a vital role in providing a reliable, sustainable and resilient water supply in the Gulf region. He noted that reducing the energy consumption of desalination is a key prerequisite for the deployment of utility-scale renewable-driven desalination plants in the region. Presenting on solar-based desalination technologies, he suggested that concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies are currently the most advanced. CSP desalination head supply systems, he added, could be designed for low temperatures, thus avoiding expensive materials and resulting in significant cost savings compared to CSP for power generation. He said that such efficiencies are an advantage from a business point of view, and noted significant growth in salinization investment due to the falling costs of technologies. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed: the importance of water conservation technologies to help enhance long-term soil nutrient replenishment; opportunities and challenges for supporting the expansion of renewable energy using market mechanisms, including water and energy tariff reforms; and the possible use of sea water for growing rice. Mohammad Nadeem, SABIC Nasser Al-Harbi, Saudi Aramco Himanshu Mishra, KAUST Thomas Altmann, ACWA Power Muna Mahjoub Mohamed Ahmed, Sudan Participants listen to the discussion A participant poses a question A shot of the room during the event CONTACT Nejoud Almatrodi | media@ksa-climate.com MORE INFORMATION https://ksa-climate.com/

The following events were covered by IISD Reporting Services on Monday, 3 December 2018: Africa Day High-Level Side Event at COP 24: Implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in Support of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 Climate Friendly Technologies: Improving Adaptive Capacity of Women and Building Resilience Equity is the Gateway to Climate Ambition Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Africa Day High-Level Side Event at COP 24: Implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in Support of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 Presented by the African Union Commission (AUC) L-R: Harsen Nyambe, African Union Commission (AUC); Amb. Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, AUC; Regis Immongault, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabon, and Committee of African Heads of State & Government on Climate Change (CAHOSSC); James Murombdzi, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA); and Anthony Nyong, African Development Bank (AfDB) As part of Africa Day, the AUC hosted a panel on the Africa NDC Hub, which aims to support member states in operationalizing their NDCs in view of Agenda 2063. The panel was moderated by Harsen Nyambe, Head of Environment, Climate Change, Water and Land Management, AUC. Anthony Nyong, African Development Bank (AfDB), highlighted that climate-related finance remains a major issue in Africa, given that the implementation of African countries’ NDCs include conditional targets related to the provision of additional resources. He highlighted the AfDB’s Africa NDC Hub, which provides support for implementing NDCs by mainstreaming them into national development plans. James Murombdzi, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), highlighted that climate change adaptation and sustainable development are “two sides of the same coin.” He noted that many NDCs are conditional upon resources that must be mobilized across the private, public and civil society sectors. He highlighted that UNECA would reorganize its programming to include new sub-programmes on climate change and natural resource management. Murombdzi further stressed the need to view economic and climate policy in ways that reflect Africa’s economic realities. Amb. Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, AUC, noted the impacts of climate change across Africa and the limited adaptive capacity that increases the continent’s vulnerability. Reaffirming the commitment of AUC to working with all its partners to support member states in the implementation of their NDCs, she announced that the AUC will have a continental strategy to address climate change by 2019. Régis Immongault, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabon, and Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSSC), lauded Africa’s engagement in mitigating and adapting to climate change, but highlighted the lack of concrete responses from public, private and civil society actors. He stressed that Africa must speak “with one voice” in negotiations to ensure just outcomes, and noted that the NDC Hub’s aim of mobilizing resources was encouraging in this regard. In their discussions, participants agreed on the importance of a just climate transition that reflects Africa’s economic realities, and on the necessity of leveraging resources from the private sector and from civil society into public mechanisms to successfully and concretely implement NDCs. Moderator Harsen Nyambe, AUC On NDC implmentation, Anthony Nyong, AfDB, said: “We cannot do it alone. We need to do it in partnership.” James Murombdzi, UNECA, stressed the need for a just transition that addresses environmental insecurity and reduces poverty in Africa. Amb. Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, AUC, cited the shrinking of Lake Chad as an example of the evidence-based impacts of climate change in Africa. Régis Immongault, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabon, and CAHOSSC, stressed the need for solidarity across Africa on adaptation. Participants during the event Amb. Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, AUC, is interviewed at the end of the event. A view of the NDC Partnership Pavilion CONTACT Olushola Olayide, AUC | OlusholaO@africa-union.org MORE INFORMATION https://au.int/en/commission Climate-Friendly Technologies: Improving Adaptive Capacity of Women and Building Resilience Presented by the Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC) Panelists pose for a group photo This event presented case studies from developing countries on locally relevant, climate-friendly technologies for vulnerable peoples, with a focus on women. Ajita Tiwari Padhi, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC), moderated the event, with panelists and participants discussing barriers and policy recommendations for promoting and scaling-up these technologies. Padhi highlighted that women face greater burdens from poverty-related climate change impacts, and stressed the need to consider their needs in an equitable way. She also noted the importance of establishing a dedicated agenda under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and including text in the Paris Agreement on gender. Priyadarshini Karve, Samuchit Enviro Tech, said that her organization is working with communities in remote locations, bringing them improved cooking stove technology, and stated that they have developed a process to better understand people’s preferences. She stressed that the stove needs to respond to the different needs of each community and that the organization is trying to train entrepreneurs to make the stoves themselves. She noted that a project is considered successful when the stoves are still used after the end of the project cycle. Siddharth D’Souza, Laya Green Ventures, discussed projects that aim to reduce the daily burden on women in tribal regions of Andhra Pradesh, India. He shared examples focused on providing energy access, water pumps, water filters, improved cookstoves and biogas; and highlighted that climate-smart technologies can be developed effectively by starting with a clear identification of community needs and barriers to technology uptake. Colin McQuistan, Practical Action, discussed technology roll out in local communities and efforts to make local technology development ecosystems fairer and more effective. He emphasized: the catalytic potential of such efforts; the need to align technology-focused efforts in international agreements, such as the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction; and that private sector technology development must be driven by community needs, not just profit. In the ensuing discussion, panelists addressed the main challenges to bringing these technologies to communities, including lack of funding and investment. Saleemul Huq, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), said that future Conferences of the Parties (COPs) need to consider ways to scale up bottom-up actions related to technology and gender around the world. Ajita Tiwari Padhi, INECC, noted that everyone is affected in a different way by climate change and that there are different technological solutions for climate mitigation. Saleemul Huq, IIED, noted that other countries will soon come to learn from Bangladesh’s early experiences in rolling out climate-friendly technology. Priyadarshini Karve, Samuchit Enviro Tech, noted that the negotiation processes are futile unless the decision makers listen to people on the ground. Colin McQuistan, Practical Action, discussed how technology is not only a useful “thing” but also a learning mechanism. Participants pose comments from the floor A shot of the room during the event CONTACT Ajita Tiwari Padhi | inecc1996@gmail.com MORE INFORMATION www.inecc.net Equity is the Gateway to Climate Ambition Presented by the Third World Network (TWN) L-R: Meena Raman, Third World Network (TWN); Ravi Prasad, India; Moderator Vicente Yu, South Centre; Zahir Fakir, South Africa, and G-77/China Finance Coordinator; and Walter Schuldt, Ecuador The event, moderated by Vicente Yu, South Centre, focused on sharing developing countries’ views on equity-related issues and emphasizing that greater climate action is only possible with equity among developed and developing countries. Noting the higher impact of climate change on vulnerable groups, Walter Schuldt, Ecuador, highlighted the need for all stakeholders to recognize the urgency of accelerating greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. Related to equity, he underscored the importance of addressing transparency, and lack of access to finance, technology and capacity building in developing countries. Zahir Fakir, South Africa, and G-77/China Finance Coordinator, emphasized the financial gaps between the USD 100 billion pledge made for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the actual money available, noting the growing number of concessional projects. He called for developing countries to carefully consider their financial mobilization plans. Ravi Prasad, India, emphasized the need to consider “outcome-oriented equity,” as well as equity with regards to how it impacts individuals from both developing and developed countries. Meena Raman, TWN, highlighted that the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities is based on the historical fact that developed countries have had an advantage over developing countries in wealth creation. She highlighted the inequities that continue to exist, and noted that if developed countries are struggling with transformation to fossil fuel-free economies, then one cannot expect developing countries to transform with ease. In the ensuing question and answer session, topics centered on: the role of technology transfer in implementing the Paris Agreement; difference between adaptation finance and finance for mitigation; and how to deal with financial gaps. Moderator Vicente Yu, South Centre, stressed that the equity issue is a key element of finalizing the global stocktake design at COP 24. Walter Schuldt, Ecuador, said ensuring finance to implement the Paris Agreement should be the core element of promoting global climate action. Meena Raman, TWN, noted that developing countries cannot rely on adaptation alone, and will need support for loss and damage in situations where disasters have destroyed livelihoods. Zahir Fakir, South Africa and G-77/China Finance Coordinator, said that developing countries’ “eligibility” for gaining financial support is becoming an important issue. Ravi Prasad, India, stressed the need to ensure that climate actions consider the realities of life for people of developing countries. Participants pose comments from the floor CONTACT Yvonne Miller | ymiller@twngeneva.ch Mariama Williams | williams@southcentre.int MORE INFORMATION https://twnetwork.org/meeting/katowice-climate-change-conference-dec-2018