This week at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec), Amos Hochstein, the US special envoy and presidential co-ordinator for international energy affairs, offered a vision of a future global energy system that was inclusive and equitable.
Mr Hochstein spoke to me about how energy diplomacy can be a tool for strengthening international relations and avoiding conflict.
The energy transition with the shift away from a reliance on oil and gas to support action on global warming is an opportunity to reset how we produce, buy and sell resources and commodities.
The point is to ensure that there cannot be an overdependence on one country or one region, he said.
“What's happening today for renewables is not the thing about just money. But, if I think about batteries, and solar and wind, I think ‘Okay, where is all that coming from? Who owns it? Who makes it? How is it made?’,” said Mr Hochstein.
“A battery has things in it – it has cobalt and copper and graphite, and nickel. Where that coming from? Is it diversified? The answer's no. It's not diversified. So we need to get together and start thinking about who is mining all that stuff? Are they mining cleanly? Do we want a world that has clean energy that comes from dirty sources? Do I want the cobalt to be mined in a dirty mine then goes to a processing facility that's using coal? What's the point? So we need to have all of these things done around the world, not just in one place, in the US, in Australia, in Europe, in Africa, wherever, all over the world, a diversified system so that the renewable energy future, the green energy future is not the same as a 20th century oil and gas business. Take away the geopolitics of this. Let us be developed everywhere. Let competition be about who can do it the cleanest, healthiest, and most cost efficient way.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo has by far the most cobalt reserves. Indonesia is the largest producer of nickel. Chile is the world’s copper powerhouse and although China makes the most graphite, Turkey holds the largest amount of it.
The number of countries involved in supply chains illustrate obstacles to creating a more equitable global energy system. Too many nations will need to buy-in to make it work.
That is mammoth scale diplomacy and given the state of permacrisis we seem to find ourselves in, there will be little bandwidth available to work on it. Mr Hochstein has devoted much of his career to turning energy discourse into something productive and positive.
“More often than not, people think of energy as tools of war tools of conflict, or not even that extreme, but tools of coercion, leverage, ‘if I sell to you, I own you’,” he told me.
“And that has been the case in Europe, in Asia, South China Sea and in the Middle East. So turning the tables is what I've been really trying to do for 10 years, 11 years now of working to see how do we do it the other way around. If it could be a tool of coercion, why can it not be a tool of co-operation? Because at the end of the day, if you can use it to integrate countries and economies, then you have something to lose, then when it goes away … going to conflict now has a cost,” he said.
Although it may sometimes be difficult to picture energy’s ability to draw countries together – for example when Europe and Russia are currently at loggerheads over gas supplies and the Ukraine war – signs of potential are clearly there.
We saw it in Paris in 2015 when the landmark climate agreement was forged. It was present in Glasgow last year for the climate summit Cop26. In Sharm El Sheikh next week for Cop27 and in the UAE next year for Cop28, nations and institutions will take the climate agenda further than it has ever been before. It took decades to build up this momentum but we have it now.
Bilateral deals on clean energy, including the $100 billion strategic Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy between the US and the UAE are evidence of progress being made. Mr Hochstein is passionate about how energy can be a tool for positive and sustainable relationships between countries.
“I believe at the end of the day, fundamentally, if you have stability, and security and prosperity, you will not have conflicts. And everybody benefits. The trick is that they are all reinforcing of each other. If you have more stability and security, you have a better shot at prosperity. And if you have a lot more prosperity, you tend to have more security and stability,” he said.
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
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RESULTS
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
RECORD%20BREAKER
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The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Kanye%20West
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