Listening to some Arab delegates at environment and climate change conferences, you would think they came from another planet. Their views are not just inconsistent with international consensus, but also contradict the policies of the countries they represent. In all likelihood, they haven’t been able yet to take in the rapid changes in the region, which are moving towards policies that provide a balance among the economic, social and environmental dimensions to achieve sustainable development.
At the climate summit in Bonn last November, some Arab negotiators tried to circumvent the Paris agreement by blocking specific operational measures with a set timetable. But China's non-responsiveness to these efforts shot down the attempt. At the last session of the UN Environment Assembly, held in Nairobi in December, some Arab delegates objected to a paragraph in the resolutions which called for "financial measures such as incentives to stimulate positive changes, including the calculation of the real cost of pollution, and the diversion of investments from polluting activities with rapid profit, to environmentally sound alternatives that generate sustainable profits." In order to preserve unanimity, the paragraph was redrafted in general terms that did not change the substance of the topic, but was surprising to the participants.
On the other hand, Arab countries have finally resorted to assessing environmental components as cost-effective assets, with a specified monetary value for depletion of resources and pollution, and including them in national budgets. This has been evident in the Arab development plans in recent years, especially Saudi Vision 2030.
At the general policy level, sustainable management of natural resources has been placed on the development agenda in many Arab countries. The main shift was recent reforms in energy and water prices in the region, including the main oil producing countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. In addition to reforming subsidy policies, the region has seen progress in adopting sustainable energy policies, such as energy efficiency goals and plans, efficiency data for household appliances and automobiles, green building codes and renewable energy policies. All Arab countries signed the Paris Climate Agreement which was ratified by 14 countries.
The Arab countries also witnessed a significant transition towards green economy. From almost a zero in adopting green economic systems or sustainable strategies, more than seven countries have developed such strategies or incorporated green economy and sustainability into their plans. Green strategies were translated into a range of regulatory measures and incentives introduced in these countries to facilitate the transformation. This has given a strong signal to the private sector to increase green investments exponentially, especially in the field of renewable energy, which is evident in Morocco, Jordan and the UAE, where billions have been invested in solar energy and wind farms. Morocco is implementing a plan to generate more than half of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030. Saudi Arabia has launched a program to generate 9.5 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.
This shift has led to increased awareness and recognition of the real economic, social and environmental gains resulting from the transition to a green and sustainable economy. This is reflected in increased employment opportunities created by green investment, efficient use of natural resources, competitiveness and market access. The economy can be diversified and revitalized by creating new activities and opportunities such as: renewable energy, new renewable water sources through wastewater treatment and the reuse of treated water and desalination, sustainable and organic farming, green industrial products, sustainable communities, green buildings, green public transport, eco-tourism, together with integrated solid waste management systems that can generate energy, produce organic fertilizer and reuse materials.
Egypt, Morocco, Qatar and the UAE have already incorporated green building laws in new urban and coastal communities, such as the city of Jalala and the new El Alamein city in Egypt, as well as Masdar city in Abu Dhabi and the green city of Mohammed VI in Morocco. The financial procedures undertaken by the central banks in Lebanon, the UAE and Jordan have led to a sharp increase in commercial lending from banks to environmentally friendly projects. These include large-scale projects implemented by the private sector, as well as home-based enterprises that promote efficiency, particularly in the field of solar and renewable energy in general. In 2017 Jordan launched a series of green economy projects.
The new year begins with additional measures to implement Saudi Vision 2030, which is an example of a radical shift in the concept of development, compared to the earlier less daring attempts at reform. The gradual increase in electricity and fuel subsidies continues in 2018 within 50 to 80 percent of the real cost, bringing it to world market prices in 2020. This contributes to the rationalization of consumption and the enhancement of efficiency, in order to preserve natural resources and reduce pollution and emissions, as well as achieving economic balance. But most importantly is the implementation of the "Citizen Account" system, which provides direct financial support to low- and middle-income earners, to compensate for the increase in service prices. We can understand the importance of this measure when we know that 90 percent of the value of electricity, fuel, water and food subsidies go to the rich, who are the biggest consumers. The recent Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) report emphasized that social justice requires "the replacement of mass random support with low-income support, provided that pricing policies meet basic human needs, enhance resource efficiency, and restore the cost of delivering services without affecting the poor". Saudi Arabia has been a leader in applying this policy to citizens and residents without distinction.
Arab countries have success stories that call for pride and deserve to be proudly shown to the world. But it seems that some "old guard" has not yet absorbed these national, regional and global transformations, and continues to address the new age with old vocabulary. It's just a matter of time.