Live updates: Follow the latest news on Cop28
As climate negotiators continue crunch talks at Cop28 in Dubai, a key talking point will be how to speed the transition away from the burning of fossil fuels.
Despite efforts at Cops over the decades, consumption of coal, one of the most carbon-intensive fossil fuels, continues to rise.
The global demand for coal last year exceeded 8.3 billion tonnes, a record, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The amount of energy generated using coal was also a record, at 10,440 terawatt hours, or 36 per cent of all energy produced.
Last year as a planet we used more coal than we ever used in the history of planet Earth
Prof Lucas Davis,
Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley
In 2023, there have been further rises with the IEA reporting that demand was likely to have increased 1.5 per cent in the first six months of the year.
Coal produces about twice the amount of carbon dioxide for a given quantity of energy generated compared with natural gas. So increases in its use make achieving the 45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 – needed to keep temperature rises to within 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels – near impossible.
Aside from being burnt to generate energy, coal is heavily used in the production of plastics, fertilisers and other fuels, all of which generate significant carbon emissions.
Yet there are reasons to believe coal demand may peak.
Not enough to reach climate goals
In its World Energy Outlook 2023, the IEA states that, based on current policies: "The momentum behind clean energy transition is now sufficient for global demand in coal, oil and natural gas to reach a high point before 2030."
However, the modest declines that are forecast before the end of the decade are "far from enough to reach global climate goals".
Prof Lucas Davis from the Haas School of Business, part of the University of California Berkeley, said that "it's very hard to make these predictions".
"In 2016, a bunch of smart people announced China's coal consumption had peaked; in retrospect, they were wrong. China's coal consumption is higher than ever with plans to build more coal-fired power stations," he said.
Prof Davis said he would prefer to look at what countries do rather than what they say they are going to do.
"If you look at the data, last year as a planet we used more coal than we ever used in the history of planet Earth."
In Europe and North America there has been a move away from the use of coal and towards the burning of natural gas, which is a renewable energy and significantly less carbon intensive.
"Gas became cheaper than coal in the US. Initially the transition in the US was mostly based on price – production costs for gas were lower," said Edgar Hertwich, professor in industrial ecology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
US coal consumption increased from about 400 million tonnes a year in 1960 to approximately one billion tonnes a year in the early 2000s, but since then has more than halved, US Energy Administration statistics indicate.
In the EU, meanwhile, European Commission figures indicate that hard coal consumption fell from about 500 million tonnes in 1990 to about 250 million tonnes in 2018.
However, coal consumption in Europe increased by 2 per cent last year, largely the result of a cut in Russian gas imports.
But the trajectory remains downwards, with energy think tank Ember reporting a 23 per cent fall in the power generated from coal in the European Union in the first six months of this year.
"In May, coal set a record by generating less than 10 per cent of the EU's electricity generation for the first time ever," the organisation said in its report released in August.
Much of the reason why coal consumption is yet to peak, despite what is happening in North America and Europe, is because China and India are building coal-fired power stations at a rapid rate. Each facility is likely to remain operational for decades.
China has more than 130 billion tonnes of proven coal reserves, the fourth largest of any country, behind the US, Russia and Australia, so by investing in coal-fired power plants, the country safeguards its energy security.
A single plant typically has a generation capacity of about one gigawatt (GW). China's approval last year of 106 GW of coal-fired power generation capacity, an all-time record, worked out at more than two plants each week.
The breathless pace has continued this year, with the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a think tank in Finland, reporting that in the first six months of this year, the country announced 41 GW of new projects.
India, which has the world's fifth largest coal reserves, is the other key current investor in coal-fired power plants and earlier this year "ushered in a new goal permitting spree" the CREA said.
India also has 65.3 GW of coal-fired power plant capacity "under active development", according to research published by CREA this year.
CREA said that there was no need in India for new plants to move into the construction process to meet the country's National Electricity Plan.
"New coal power projects are unnecessary to meet demand and would come with significantly higher socio-economic and environmental costs than clean energy," the organisation said when it released its findings.
Prof Hertwich described China's continued investments in coal-fired power capacity as "a big problem", albeit balanced against the country's heavy investment in renewable energy.
Cheap renewable energy
The speed of the transition from coal is likely to be influenced by not just the financial case for renewable energy, Prof Davis said.
"Renewables have become cheap already," Prof Davis said. "The question is more about the political will to make these changes, to prioritise renewables before coal.
"In places like the US, we’ve been using fossil fuels to build our economy for over 100 years. We’re not really in a position to tell other countries if they need to develop, they need to get off fossil fuels quicker than we did."
Even if the forecasts of the IEA prove accurate and demand for coal peaks soon, as do overall greenhouse gas emissions, the world will still be off track in terms of limiting temperature increases to 1.5°C and avoiding many of the more serious consequences of climate change.
"We might have reached peak greenhouse gases. That’s great news, but we should’ve done that 20 years ago," Dr Phillip Williamson, honorary associate professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia in the UK, said.
"There’s no way now we’re going to get ourselves out of a really deep mess. Every delay just makes it worse and worse."
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tomb%20Raider%20I%E2%80%93III%20Remastered
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20series%20X%2FS%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
More coverage from the Future Forum
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The%20specs
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Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
Quick%20facts
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press
Abu Dhabi World Pro 2019 remaining schedule:
Wednesday April 24: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-6pm
Thursday April 25: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-5pm
Friday April 26: Finals, 3-6pm
Saturday April 27: Awards ceremony, 4pm and 8pm
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
Celta Vigo 2
Castro (45'), Aspas (82')
Barcelona 2
Dembele (36'), Alcacer (64')
Red card: Sergi Roberto (Barcelona)
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The years Ramadan fell in May
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