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| My friend, the minister of oil in a rich state, is permanently optimistic. He believes that the warnings about pollution, depletion of resources and climate change are exaggerated...more |
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| The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, was a bright moment for the environment and sustainable development. It yielded some genuine results. The Climate Change and Biodiversity Conventions were adopted, and Agenda 21 confirmed the direct link between the environment and human development....more |
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| Climate change was one of the most important subjects in President Barack Obama's second State of the Union address: "We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations...more |
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| Young Arabs revolted against the status quo of inept governance and tyrannical rule. They astounded the world by their insistence on change seeking a better future. They came into a world lackingvision with weak leadership and degraded environment. They simultaneously concluded that nothing would change unless they took matters into their own hands. No wonder that while showing great anger, many cleaned the demonstration areas amidst the turmoil....more |
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| We are in a new era of resource constraints. Humanity is in global overshoot, using more renewable resources and ecological services than our biosphere can replenish. More countries are becoming increasingly dependent on resources they do not have. As a result, more countries are competing for the planet’s limited natural capital. We call this new dynamic “the global auction.”...more |
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| Energy Efficiency improvements to generate more economic output with less energy input is essential for the Arab countries to enhance economic competitiveness, improve trade balance, Improve environmental quality, cut carbon emissions, create new Jobs and enhance energy security for oil importing countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Morocco. In addition, energy efficiency can play a key role in alleviating burdens on states’ budgets due to saving in energy subsidies, a policy widely adopted in the Arab region....more |
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| The world’s energy needs will be almost 60% higher in 2030 than they are now and CO2 emissions will increase at about the same rate. In 2009, fossil fuels accounted for 81% of global total primary energy supply which doubled between 1971 and 2009. Growing global energy demand from fossil fuels plays a key role in the continued growth in CO2 emissions. In fact, CO2 from energy production and use represent about 65% of global emissions. ...more |
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| Demand for life-supporting goods and services in the Arab countries is twice the potential renewable resources that their ecosystems can provide. This imbalance between domestic supply and demand for resources is a threat to future growth opportunities and quality of life. ...more |
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