Energy officials gather in Abu Dhabi for green transition talks

▶ As conflict convulses the Middle East and temperatures soar, building on Cop28 is vital

Global energy executives and ministers are set to gather in Abu Dhabi today to discuss ways to speed up the transition to clean energy.

The World Future Energy Summit, which will run until Thursday, is the UAE’s first major energy event since the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai, where countries pledged to increase renewable energy capacity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The event, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, is expected to feature more than 400 exhibitors, as well as high-profile speakers including ministers from Japan, the Netherlands and Cop29 host Azerbaijan.

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson will be among the keynote speakers at the Green Hydrogen Summit, a part of the World Future Energy Summit.

The Green Hydrogen Summit will feature a high-level ministerial panel focusing on national strategies and policies to accelerate green hydrogen economies.

Ministers on the panel will include Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, Japanese Deputy Economy Minister Yoshida Nobuhiro and Dutch Economy Ministry special energy envoy Frederik Wisselink.

“Cop28 has laid down the mandates; the task now is how public and private sectors react and partner up to implement solutions which will achieve the objectives,” Leen Al Sebai, show director of the World Future Energy Summit, said this month.

“The task is cross-sector and multi-channel, which is why the Climate and Environment Conference takes a comprehensive approach to sector examination.”

Experts will explore how to expedite progress across various sectors, including tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, utilities, construction, transport and health care, through speeches, panel talks, informal discussions and case studies.

This year’s summit will feature a dedicated Climate and Environment Conference, which will explore the outcomes of Cop28, as well as a dedicated case study on the role of solar energy in improving health care across Africa.

When Swiss explorer and clean technology pioneer Bertrand Piccard took off from Abu Dhabi in a solar-powered aircraft on March 9, 2015, it was the beginning of a 23-day journey around the world that provided an exciting demonstration of renewable energy’s potential. Nearly 10 years later, Dr Piccard is back in the UAE capital to speak about his plans to co-pilot another flight around the globe, this time powered by hydrogen.

His talk will take place today at the Green Hydrogen Summit, a Masdar event that is part of the World Future Energy Summit. Dr Piccard’s renewables-fuelled globetrotting is part of the first major energy meeting to take place in the Emirates following last year’s successful Cop28 climate summit. The gathering will be focused on maintaining the hard-won momentum generated by the UAE Consensus reached in Dubai late last year.

This is a global event that again places the UAE and its leadership role at the heart of the climate conversation. It also takes place at a critical moment: the Middle East is convulsed by conflict and the world continues to break records for elevated temperatures.

The UAE is a fitting place to host such a conversation. The country has already embraced the need for managed energy change, devoting considerable resources to achieving this. For example, the Arab world’s second-largest economy aims to achieve hydrogen production of 1.4 million tonnes annually by 2031, an amount that is expected to increase to 15 million tonnes every year by 2050. In addition, the Cabinet last July confirmed that the UAE will invest up to Dh200 billion ($54.4 billion) over the next seven years in an updated national energy strategy.

The World Future Energy Summit takes place four months after Cop28 and the agreement on the UAE Consensus that helped provide a clear direction for the energy transition. Holding the Cop28 presidency, the UAE is playing a pivotal role and established the Cop Presidencies Troika to ensure continuity and implementation on climate action between the Emirates and the next two Cop hosts – Azerbaijan and Brazil.

The Abu Dhabi summit also takes place as the climate crisis continues to produce some unpleasant surprises. Earlier this month, Chinese scientists discovered a hidden pool of inorganic carbon – 2.3 billion tonnes of it – in the Earth’s soil that could worsen the world’s climate problems if it is released. It is timely therefore that panels at the World Future Energy Summit will examine aviation, shipping and heavy industry, with a focus on decarbonising sectors such as steel production.

At a time characterised by crisis and division, where a failure of diplomacy is wearing away at the fabric of the international community, it is welcome to see an event taking place that is focused on solutions and that builds on the vital work of previous climate and energy summits. Not all the topics being examined in Abu Dhabi this week will have the appeal and elegance of solar-powered flight, but they do hint at the possibility of a brighter future. It is this optimism that we need, now more than ever.