SUSTAINABILITY | STRATEGIES
SITTING IN A REGION THAT REPRESENTS 55 % OF THE WORLD ’ S COUNTRIES – CLOSE TO 110 – YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES
it comes to sustainability efforts , adding “ we see multiple large corporations in South Africa announcing steep commitments ”.
There is tangible progress within the region , Tawfik believes , because of the political will that is translated into actual progress .
Most of the previous discussions around climate action have been accused of being all talk no action . However , the UAE has a reputation for being a place that ‘ gets things done ’ no matter the challenge . Plus there is the fact that oil-producing countries in the region have a vested interest in change , and are diversifying their economies . The UAE already has – with the tourism and real estate boom of the last 20 years – and Saudi is investing heavily in new companies , cities and industries in a bid to future-proof its society . Tawfik believes the COP we see in the
UAE in November and December will be unlike previous incarnations , with a closer collaboration between governments and the private sector .
“ I think this year there will be much more representation from the private sector involved in decision making ,” he says . “ The UAE has always prided itself on leading the technology and innovation agenda and I think that ’ s something we will see at COP28 – how technology and innovation can help the climate change agenda , not only policy , not only regulation .”
It must be tough working for one of the world ’ s largest technology companies in a leading sustainability role . Public perception , at times , seems to be that technology will somehow , sometime , provide a silver bullet to the climate crisis .
Like carbon capture technologies being pioneered in Oman by startup 44.01 ( named after the molecular mass of carbon dioxide ). The company won the 2022 Earthshot Prize for its solution that involves mineralising CO2 – removing it from the atmosphere and turning it into rock . The technology is proven , but on a tiny scale – so small that it may not make a meaningful difference . The company hopes to mineralise a billion tonnes of CO2 by 2040 , but emissions are already above 40 billion tonnes per year .
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94 September 2023