The UN General Assembly has declared January 26 the International Day of Clean Energy, starting next year, in a move aimed at rallying the world to new forms of energy production.
The resolution to establish the day was co-signed by the UAE and Panama, according to a statement on Friday by the Abu Dhabi-headquartered International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).
The chosen date is also the anniversary of the agency's founding in 2009, and the announcement comes as leaders prepare to attend the UN climate summit Cop28 later this year in the UAE.
The move signals that “energy transition has taken centre-stage to fight climate change, enhance human welfare and drive an urgent and systemic shift for increased energy access, reduced inequalities, improved energy security, and prosperous and resilient economies and societies”, said Irena director-general Francesco La Camera.
The announcement comes with less than 100 days to go before the start of the Cop28 summit, which will run from November 30 to December 12 at Expo City Dubai.
“With Cop28 in Dubai approaching, this UN decision highlights the need for a unified global approach to energy issues,” Irena said.
The resolution for the International Day of Clean Energy also comes against the backdrop of a series of extreme events this summer that scientists believe are linked to climate change.
The UAE will work with Cop28 participants to triple the world's renewable energy capacity and double the production of hydrogen by 2030, the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure said last month.
The global energy transition is “front and centre” for the Emirates, which will help make a “concentrated push” to boost clean energy capacity around the world, Minister of Energy and infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei said.
The UAE, the Arab world's second-largest economy, is investing heavily in clean energy projects and has announced several initiatives as it seeks to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
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As part of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, the country plans to invest Dh200 billion ($54 billion) by 2030 to ensure energy demand is met while sustaining economic growth.
Some of the major clean energy projects it is developing include the Barakah nuclear plant, a two-gigawatt solar plant in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region and the five-gigawatt Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi also announced its Climate Change Strategy for 2023-2027 in July. It aims to reduce emissions by 30 million tonnes by 2027, from 135 million tonnes in 2016.
Annual renewable power capacity must add an average of 1,000 gigawatts annually by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement's goals, according to Irena.
Although global renewable capacity in the power sector grew by a record 300 gigawatts last year, the gap between actual progress and the development required to achieve long-term climate goals has continued to grow, the agency said in its World Energy Transitions Outlook 2023 in June.
Renewables – excluding hydropower – met 84 per cent of net electricity demand growth last year, according to the Statistical Review of World Energy, also published in June.
Solar and wind recorded their “largest ever” increase in new-build capacity, reaching a record 12 per cent share of power generation in 2022, it found.
“Despite further strong growth in wind and solar in the power sector, overall global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions increased again,” said Juliet Davenport, president of the Energy Institute, a UK-based industry body.
“We are still heading in the opposite direction to that required by the Paris Agreement.”
By creating a day focused on clean energy, the UN “underscores the importance of inclusivity”, Irena said on Friday.
It offers a dedicated day for both traditional and non-traditional actors to showcase their contributions to more affordable, reliable, and sustainable modern energy systems that ultimately help accelerate progress towards the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, it added.
“Launching an International Day of Clean Energy is a powerful way to remind the world of its commitment to universal clean energy access and meeting the Paris Agreement climate goal,” Mr La Camera said.
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
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RESULT
Fifth ODI, at Headingley
England 351/9
Pakistan 297
England win by 54 runs (win series 4-0)
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate
MORE ON INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
UAE - India ties
The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China
Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion
The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India
Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015
His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016
Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017
Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
