The United Arab Emirates is prepared for rising temperatures that could make certain regions of the Gulf uninhabitable by the end of the century, the climate minister of this oil country assured on the eve of COP28.
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Long experience with harsh desert summers has taught the country to live with temperatures that regularly hover around 50 degrees Celsius, she said.
“We have been adapting for many years,” Mariam Almheiri said in an interview ahead of the UN climate change conference COP28, which begins on Thursday in Dubai.
“How do you manage to live here?” we are often asked, says the minister, adding: “We have been teaching ourselves this for many years.”
Several studies show that the scorching summers that send many people fleeing to warmer climes are becoming worse due to climate change.
The region’s extreme heat and high humidity create a dangerous mix as the human body struggles to cool itself through the evaporation of sweat in such conditions.
The Gulf is one of the few places where so-called wet temperatures have been repeatedly recorded above 35 °C, the limit of human survival above which an individual can die within a few hours, regardless of age, health and physical condition.
AFP
Carbon footprint
“With this year on track to be the hottest year on record globally, the Emirates is changing its building design and urban planning to create more bearable living environments, including outdoors,” Ms Almheiri.
Parks and green spaces – including planting 100 million mangroves, an effective carbon sink – by 2030 would also help mitigate the heat, she added.
“People don’t realize that in reality more than 70% of our economy is not oil-based. We already have a lot of the renewable energy infrastructure in place.”
“We are ensuring that buildings are built at a level that takes into account the imminent rise in sea levels,” the minister said.
Due to the systematic use of air conditioning almost all year round, this country has one of the highest carbon footprints per capita in the world.
Other factors include cars clogging multi-lane highways and energy-intensive attractions, such as an indoor ski slope with artificial snow kept at a constant temperature of -2°C.
Pro-climate and pro-growth
Despite these challenges, the Emirates is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 (excluding exported oil and gas volumes) by increasing the production of nuclear, solar and wind energy, expanding the metro and rail networks and promoting electric vehicles.
Masdar, led by Sultan Al Jaber, President of COP28 and CEO of the national oil giant (ADNOC), is one of the world’s largest renewable energy companies and demonstrates the country’s ambition to lead the energy transition.
“We’re looking at it sector by sector, engaging the private sector, community members and academia, and making sure young people are part of this conversation too,” the minister said. The aim is “to understand how we can reduce the carbon emissions of these sectors, but also how individuals can do their part of the work”.
Ms. Almheiri emphasized making gestures in favor of the environment on a personal level. “Whether it’s being careful not to throw edible food in the trash, or being a little more conscious about what you buy and where it comes from.”
The zero emissions strategy we have just announced is a climate and growth friendly path, but it also represents a change in mindset in the way we work and live,” the minister explained.