Live updates: Follow the latest news on Cop28
Have climate activists forgotten about coal? The attention at Cop28 focuses on language about “phasing out” all fossil fuels, without differentiation. And campaigns relentlessly attack gas, the lowest-carbon of the trio of gas, oil and coal.
Gas is certainly not blameless in the climate problem. It contributes about 22 per cent of global emissions from fuels, after coal at 44 per cent and oil at 32 per cent.
Its main constituent, methane, is a powerful greenhouse gas, and significant amounts leak from wells and pipelines. The petroleum business contributes about a quarter of human-caused methane.
Cop28 has brought progress on cleaning up the gas sector. The UAE put $100 million and six big oil companies $25 million each towards a $255 million World Bank-run fund to help developing countries reduce methane.
As many as 50 oil and gas companies vowed to cut their operational emissions to net zero by 2050, to stop routine flaring of gas, and to bring leaks of methane to near zero by 2030.
Of these, 31 companies made such a pledge on methane for the first time, and more than half of the adherents were national oil companies, who previously were reluctant to sign up.
If fully implemented, the oil and gas industry’s cuts would be equivalent to taking every single oil-fuelled car today off the road.
Gas can be made even cleaner. Conversion to “blue” hydrogen yields a fuel that generates only water and can be a crucial feedstock for industry and low-carbon fuels in ships and planes.
Combustion in new designs of power plants with integrated carbon capture reduces carbon dioxide emissions to very low levels.
The flexibility of gas makes it an ideal complement for variable renewable energy. Entirely renewable-based options for heavy industry remain years from technical and economic viability, while climate campaigners rightly warn us that we have no time to waste in cutting emissions.
But environmental groups cursed, rather than praising, these initiatives. “We need a fast, fair, and equitable fossil fuel phase-out that does not rely on dangerous distractions,” said 350.org.
Green NGOs and sympathetic media have concurred in describing hydrogen and carbon capture as “false solutions”.
Various campaign groups and academics produce purportedly objective, but heavily slanted, analysis, that is picked up credulously by the media.
These usually take worst-case emissions for all possible parts of the value chain and don’t acknowledge any possibility of improvement.
They typically quote the global warming effect of methane over 20 rather than 100 years. This seemingly arcane technical matter has a significant effect on how we evaluate gas versus coal.
Methane is a powerful warming gas but breaks down quickly in the atmosphere. Over 20 years, a tonne of methane has 81 times the warming effect of a tonne of carbon dioxide.
Over a century, though, it is only 27-30 times as much. Using the 20-year figure allows gas opponents to claim that it’s “worse than coal”.
The use of the higher factor may appear careful. But it’s the opposite – it is a reckless gamble with the future.
In the place of methane, which will mostly be gone within 12 years, gas opponents prefer carbon dioxide which will stay aloft for thousands of years – putting the burden on our children, grandchildren and far descendants. Coal produces about twice as much carbon dioxide per unit of energy as gas.
Missing the chance to replace coal with gas today, because gas theoretically won’t be “net zero” decades down the line, is contrary to our scientific understanding of the carbon budget.
The black rock’s other environmental effects are also far worse. Ash, slag heaps, polluted streams, dangerous mines, and the airborne pollutants of sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides, particulates and mercury.
It’s easy for a professor in front of spreadsheets in New York or California to opine that “gas is worse than coal” when they don’t have to breathe the air in Delhi, Chengdu or Ulaanbaatar.
The shift in environmentalist attention is remarkable. In the early 2000s, gas was seen relatively favourably. The change is for political, not scientific, reasons.
Coal in Western countries is viewed as a vanquished foe. Even though use and emissions remain significant, consumption is down 57 per cent in the US since its 2005 peak, by 61 per cent in Europe since 1985, and by 36 per cent in Australia since 2008.
Two thirds of global coal today is used in China and India, where western NGOs know they have little chance of changing things through public pressure.
“Just Energy Transition Partnerships”, intended to decarbonise coal-heavy developing countries such as South Africa, Vietnam and Indonesia, have run into local political quicksand.
India resists signing up to a JETP, concerned about its effects on coal and domestic energy security and affordability.
Coal miners are seen as victims, not villains. Hit films such as Billy Elliot and Brassed Off, or this year’s documentary King Coal from Appalachia, depict the post-mining struggles of salt-of-the-earth Yorkshire, Geordie and West Virginia folk.
By contrast, few people have an idea of what a gas worker looks like. In the US, it might be associated with the emotive term “fracking”, and campaigns against local earth tremors and allegedly tainted groundwater.
It represents big companies that export liquefied natural gas without paying their fair share of taxes while overcharging Australians.
The gas industry has not done itself favours. It has been far too slow to act on flaring and methane escape. Scientists and NGOs have done a good job of raising awareness of methane leakage, contradicting rosy estimates from the industry, even if some have exaggerated the problem.
The gas business is a central part of the Middle East economy both at home and for export. A viable deal exists. Phase out coal, provide the cleanest possible gas in replacement and move quickly to build up carbon capture to make it truly near zero.
If not, gas companies have to be resigned to being the villain at Cops to come.
Robin M Mills is chief executive of Qamar Energy and author of 'The Myth of the Oil Crisis'
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
MATCH INFO
Pakistan 106-8 (20 ovs)
Iftikhar 45, Richardson 3-18
Australia 109-0 (11.5 ovs)
Warner 48 no, Finch 52 no
Australia win series 2-0
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Fifa%20World%20Cup%20Qatar%202022%20
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Everybody%20Loves%20Touda
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nabil%20Ayouch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nisrin%20Erradi%2C%20Joud%20Chamihy%2C%20Jalila%20Talemsi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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%3Cp%3E1.%20Protracted%20but%20less%20intense%20war%20(60%25%20likelihood)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E2.%20Negotiated%20end%20to%20the%20conflict%20(30%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E3.%20Russia%20seizes%20more%20territory%20(20%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E4.%20Ukraine%20pushes%20Russia%20back%20(10%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EForecast%20by%20Economist%20Intelligence%20Unit%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
BELGIUM%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20Thibaut%20Courtois%2C%20Simon%20Mignolet%2C%20Koen%20Casteels%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDefenders%3A%20Jan%20Vertonghen%2C%20Toby%20Alderweireld%2C%20Leander%20Dendoncker%2C%20Zeno%20Debast%2C%20Arthur%20Theate%2C%20Wout%20Faes%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMidfielders%3A%20Hans%20Vanaken%2C%20Axel%20Witsel%2C%20Youri%20Tielemans%2C%20Amadou%20Onana%2C%20Kevin%20De%20Bruyne%2C%20Yannick%20Carrasco%2C%20Thorgan%20Hazard%2C%20Timothy%20Castagne%2C%20Thomas%20Meunier%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EForwards%3A%20Romelu%20Lukaku%2C%20Michy%20Batshuayi%2C%20Lo%C3%AFs%20Openda%2C%20Charles%20De%20Ketelaere%2C%20Eden%20Hazard%2C%20Jeremy%20Doku%2C%20Dries%20Mertens%2C%20Leandro%20Trossard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20stats%20and%20facts
%3Cp%3E1.9%20million%20women%20are%20at%20risk%20of%20developing%20cervical%20cancer%20in%20the%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E80%25%20of%20people%2C%20females%20and%20males%2C%20will%20get%20human%20papillomavirus%20(HPV)%20once%20in%20their%20lifetime%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EOut%20of%20more%20than%20100%20types%20of%20HPV%2C%2014%20strains%20are%20cancer-causing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E99.9%25%20of%20cervical%20cancers%20are%20caused%20by%20the%20virus%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EA%20five-year%20survival%20rate%20of%20close%20to%2096%25%20can%20be%20achieved%20with%20regular%20screenings%20for%20cervical%20cancer%20detection%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EWomen%20aged%2025%20to%2029%20should%20get%20a%20Pap%20smear%20every%20three%20years%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EWomen%20aged%2030%20to%2065%20should%20do%20a%20Pap%20smear%20and%20HPV%20test%20every%20five%20years%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EChildren%20aged%2013%20and%20above%20should%20get%20the%20HPV%20vaccine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
LIVERPOOL SQUAD
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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