TRENDS Research and Advisory releases a new Study on “Climate Action in the Arab Gulf States: The Road Ahead to COP28 and Beyond”

TRENDS Research and Advisory has just released a new study which indicated that

Climate change is the ‘grand challenge’ of the 21st century. While there are already imminent threats stemming from global warming, it is expected that the slow and rapid-onset effects will only increase in the future.

The study indicated that today, with all their capacities, the Gulf states play a more constructive role in fighting climate change. The study which was issued in English was entitled “Climate Action in the Arab Gulf States: The Road Ahead to COP28 and Beyond.” It recommended that environmental policymakers in the GCC states should advance and improve data collection by conducting scientific studies that comprehensively analyze climate change effects and its various impacts on related dimensions such as environmental protection and sustainable resource management.

The study stressed that there is a need for a better understanding of the many multiple dimensions and interactions of human-nature relations in the Arabian Peninsula. Investments in better monitoring tools that are applied widespread as well as more coordination among research institutes and universities is a starting point in this respect.

The study was conducted by Dr. Tobias Zumbrägel, researcher at the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO) in Germany. The author explained that the usage of remote sensing (e.g., satellite technology or drones) as well as deploying Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to map and observe environmental change, as already practiced in some states, is welcome and promising. 

The study also stressed the need for environmental reports and increased exchange of environmental information and consultations between countries in the region to ensure the success of the climate policy-making process.

Channels of communication and forums should be created that include and mobilize various stakeholders from civil society to academia and think tanks, as well as businesses.

There is also a further need to develop more information campaigns and education and awareness programs that target local populations and various segments of society. The fact that several universities (especially in the UAE and other GCC States) have started to develop study programs on sustainable development is a promising step.

The study indicated that another element of inclusion could entail a gradual transformation from the current centralized and utility-based energy production towards a decentralized approach that includes further incentives. This could include policy instruments like providing long-term contracts, guaranteed grid access, and price certainty to small and medium renewable energy companies (e.g., feed-in tariffs) or offering concessionary loans or tax credits for private solar PV cells.

The study explained that overall, the communication, attitude, and engagement cycle could be a possible entry point for such a profound energy transformation. It foresees several intertwined steps of creating channels of communication and awareness with a special focus on the needs of various social groups and unveiling details of climate projects; providing opportunities for engagement and participation in the energy transition; and increasing the attitude towards cleaner energy through easy and cheap access. 

Finally, the study explained that there is a dire need to foster environmental cooperation within the Gulf states. This could include the empowerment of already existing organizational structures such as the GCC’s Committee for Climate Change, the Middle East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC), or the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME). However, it can also mean creating new frameworks from scratch and incorporating existing structures, agents and mechanisms.