The Role of Solar in Combating Climate Change & How to Deploy this in MENA, Opening keynote at CEBC 5th Annual MENA Forum, 14 Dec 2016

The presentation titled “The Role of Solar in Combating Climate Change & How to Deploy this in MENA“, was delivered at the Clean Energy Business Council’s (CEBC) 5th Annual MENA Forum, held in Dubai on Dec 14, 2016.

Next year will be critical to the long-term success of the energy diversification strategies across the Middle East, as we close in on the 2020 milestone. What we see from markets such as Saudi Arabia in particular during the early part of 2017 will be a key indicator of renewed momentum – beyond 2017 – leading a major shift in the regional dynamic for renewables for the next decade and beyond.

The presentation discussed results from the COP21 and COP22, while also highlighting how MENA continues to rank poorly in the Climate Change Performance Index. Renewable energy commitments in the MENA were outlined, and the increasing momentum for solar and wind were underscored. Solar is MENA’s road to decarbonisation; but, implementation of a carbon tax could generate substantial revenue, increase energy efficiency and drive decarbonisation strategies.