note from our lebanon coordinator - carboun.com · note from our lebanon coordinator introducing...
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Note From Our Lebanon CoordinatorIntroducing Lebanon 24/7Dear Friends,
With time, one has come to learn that change always starts with a first step, a reunion of passionate people that come together to realize their vision of a future they want to shape.
In February 2012, we took a first step here in Lebanon. Three Student Ambassadors joined the Carboun initiative to work on Lebanon’s electricity reform plan, a project we call Lebanon 24/7.
In 2010, the Lebanese Cabinet adopted a new plan to the end chronic power shortages that most Lebanese have been putting up with for decades. in fact, none of us in the Lebanon 24/7 team ever had the luxury of enjoying a single week in Lebanon with 24-hours of power supply, despite the large amounts of money that have been spent on that sector of the economy.
But this government plan was not in any way ground breaking, as it represented the third attempt to reform the sector. The implementation of this reform plan was not revolutionary either, as it faced increasing political opposition, and was stalled by the contradicting - and often confusing -arguments from proponents and opponents.
The Lebanon 24/7 project aims at assessing the adopted reform plan in a rigorous and structured approach and to highlight its short-term and long-term implications.
This month we are pleased to announce the publishing of our first article with others to follow shortly during the first phase of the project. This first phase focuses on understanding the nature and magnitude of the impacts caused by past policy decisions.
Beyond publishing articles, we are also putting together a platform that enables Student Ambassadors to engage in the debate on energy policy, a first step that would empower them to take part in shaping future policy decisions in Lebanon.
With this small step, one hopes that we would help inform a healthy debate on energy in Lebanon and and lay a knowledge foundation for sustainable future growth.
Sincerely,
Guy El Khoury
April
201
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Copyrights:Karim Elgendy
A newsletter by the Carboun initiative
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Regional Developments:
Abu Dhabi begins work on metro and light-rail transit systemThe UAE Executive Council recently approved funding for the Abu Dhabi metro and light-rail project, which will extend approximately 131 km and is scheduled to start operating by 2016-17. The aim of the project is to reduce traffic congestion by connecting key districts such as the proposed Central Business District, Abu Dhabi International Airport, Zayed Sports City and several islands. Each station will be designed to handle 1,000 commuters and will eventually be linked to the Dubai Metro and other networks in the UAE and beyond. This project is expected to serve 823,000 commuters daily, removing 105,000 automobiles off the road by 2030. The expected annual emissions reduction from the project is 2,305 tons.
More information
Implementation of Jordan Red Sea Project to begin early next year
The Jordanian Minister of Water and Irrigation has announced that the implementation of the first phase of the Jordan Red Sea Project (JRSP) will start early next year. Projected to supply the Kingdom with around one billion cubic meters of water by 2022, the JRSP will be a key in addressing the Kingdom’s water scarcity. Under the first phase of the JRSP, water will be conveyed from the Red Sea through pipelines to a desalination facility that will be built in Aqaba.
The project entails extracting 2,150 million cubic meters of water from the Red Sea every year, of which 930mcm will be desalinated and 1,220mcm will be channeled into the shrinking Dead Sea. In addition, 180 megawatts of electricity will be generated by projected hydropower stations.
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Abu Dhabi's $600m solar power plant to be completed this year
Shams 1, a Concentrated Solar Power plant developed by a joint venture between Masdar, Total, and Abengoa, will be completed by the end of this year. With a capacity of 100 MW, it will be amongst the largest of its type, and represents a key project for Masdar.
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Tourism flocks to Yemen’s Socotra islands for its unique biodiversity
Socotra Archipelago is one of the most diverse places in the region. Also known as the Galapagos of the Middle East, it is populated by hundreds of species that are only indigenous to the islands, including the dragon blood trees. As one of four natural UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Arab world, Socotra is increasingly becoming a tourist attraction. However this is raising concerns over the protection of the islands’ distinctive and fragile biodiversity during the tourist season.
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Zayed Future Energy Prize 2013
Already in its 5th round, the Zayed Future Energy Prize has announced that applications for the 2013 prize are now open. The prize awards innovation, long-term vision and leadership in renewable energy and sustainability. The 2013 award is US$4 million and will be distributed across five categories: large corporations; small and medium enterprises; nongovernmental organizations; lifetime achievements of individuals; and global high schools.
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Carboun Newswire Review of Sustainability News
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Global Developments:
Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation
According to a recent report y the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, climate change has already led to changes in climate extremes such as heat waves, record high temperatures and, in many regions, heavy precipitation. The report also notes that policies to avoid, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the risks of disaster can reduce the impact of extreme weather events and increase the resilience of people exposed to them.
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Sociological Explanations for Climate Change Denial
Ron Kramer, a sociologist, has been studying how sociological and cultural factors are preventing Americans from talking about or acting on climate change. He cites 3 categories of denial drawing on a research done at the London School of Economics. He also believes that Climate Change should be regarded as a matter of social justice, and not just science.
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Technical Fix Proposed to Prevent Release of Arctic Methane
A UK engineer is suggesting building cloud-whitening towers in the Faroe Islands as a ‘Technical Fix’ for warming across the Arctic. Such a complex and unorthodox suggestion spurred scientists’ reaction, with some concerned about the falling volume of ice, and others stating that mimicking the cooling effect of volcanic eruptions would be disastrous.
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U.S. Intelligence Report Warns of Global Water Tensions
A recent report by US intelligence warns that increasing tension around water resources would destabilize countries in North Africa, Middle East, and
South Asia in the coming years. It suggests that shortages could become increasingly frequent pushing states to seek to obtain regional influence to preserve their water interests.
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China’s Spending on Renewable Energy SoarsAlthough China is the world's biggest CO2 emitter and notorious for building the equivalent of a 400MW coal-fired power station every three days, it is estimated to be erecting 36 wind turbines everyday and building a strong new electricity grid to send this energy from the deserts of the west to the cities of the east.This push for wind energy is part of a long-term plan to supply 15% of the country's energy from renewable sources by 2020, most of which will come from nuclear and hydropower with a smaller share for wind and solar energy.
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Denmark Passes Legislation: 100% Renewable Energy by 2050The Danish government announced this month that it plans to provide 50% of Denmark’s total electricity requirement from renewable sources by 2020 and 100% of total energy, including electricity, heating, industry, and transport, by 2050.
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Eight key trends in carbon consumption
Regulatory pressures, the need to improve efficiency and save money, and demonstration of social commitment have driven many organizations to look at how they can measure and reduce carbon in their own business. As carbon reduction becomes integrated into business strategy, organizations seeking competitive advantage in the low carbon economy should start considering how consumption habits amongst their suppliers, partners, and customers will develop over the next decade. This report by the Carbon Trust Advisory has identified eight key trends that it predicts will have an impact over 2012 and beyond.
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Carboun Newswire Review of Sustainability News
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Crises, Globalization and Governance: How to Draw Lessons?2 - 3 April 2012
Beirut, Lebanon. (Event link)
Economy, sustainability
5th International Conference On Energy Research & Development 9 - 11 April, 2012
Kuwait, Kuwait. (Event link)
Energy, R&D
4th Annual Maghreb / Middle East Renewable Energy Summit 2012 16 - 17 April, 2012
Casablanca, Morocco. (Event link)
Energy
Subregional Workshop for West Asia and North Africa on Capacity-building for Implementation of the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas
16 - 20 April, 2012
Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Event link)
Environmental Conservation
CSP EMEA 17 - 18 April, 2012
Cairo, Egypt. (Event link)
Energy
World EcoBuild_Building a sustainable future 22 – 25 April, 2012
Abu Dhabi, UAE. (Event link)
Green
GreenAge 2012 26 to 27 April 2012
Istanbul, Turkey. (Event link)
Energy, Green
Menasol 2012
16 to 17 May l 2012
Abu Dhabi, UAE. (Event link)
Energy
Water Resources and Water Security in the Middle East and Mediterranean 13 to 17 May l 2012
Amman, Jordan. (Event link)
Water
International Conference on Nuclear and Renewable Energy Resources13 to 17 May l 2012
Istanbul, Turkey. (Event link)
Energy, Technology, Environment, Low Carbon
Solar Maghreb 2012 Congress: Developing Large Scale North African Solar Markets
22 to 23 May l 2012
Casablanca, Morocco. (Event link)
Energy
Wind Power Morocco: Scaling up the Moroccan Wind IndustryMay l 2012 (tbc)
Casablanca, Morocco. (Event link)
Energy
Carboun CalendarRegional Sustainability Events
Events identified with are events in which Carboun is represented
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The Power Sector in Lebanon: From State-Building to a Symbol of Government WeaknessBy Guy El Khoury
1885 is generally considered as the birth year of the electricity network in Lebanon – it is the year where the first concession for a network of gas lighting was established in Beirut, when the city was still under Ottoman rule. Over the following decades, the development of the electricity infrastructure across the country was carried out by similar independent regional concessions.
Although the electricity network
progressively expanded to cover major cities of the country, this scheme of infrastructure development failed to benefit all citizens and regions equally. Industrial development for example was only concentrated in areas where concessions provided reliable supply (Beirut suburbs and Chekka in the North).
It is only in the early 1960s that the improvement of access to electricity became a government priority. In fact, electrification was a key pillar of nation-building efforts spearheaded by president Fouad Chehab (1958 – 1964), who saw extending the electricity network to the entire Lebanese territory and unifying tariff schemes across the country as a guarantee for reliable and equal access to electricity for all citizens.
To continue reading, please visit the original article on Carboun’s website.
Road to Doha Sustainable Transportation in the Middle EastBy Karim Elgendy and Wissam Yassine
Developing transportation networks and facilitating access and mobility are major constituents of the economic development of any country or region. Yet transportation also poses great economic and environmental challenges as a major energy consumer and a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions.
In the Middle East, the transportation sector is challenged on both fronts. On one hand, its underdeveloped and inefficient networks continue to hinder economic development. In addition, the
transportation sector represents a major consumer of energy in the region and a primary contributor to carbon emissions.
In 2008, the transportation sector was estimated to be responsible for 31% of the region’s total energy use – a relatively high proportion compared to the global average of 27% – while the road sub-sector alone was responsible for 18% of energy use – compared to 14% globally.
Over the last few decades, the Middle East and North Africa region witnessed rapid population growth, with its population swelling from 97 million in 1960 to 351 million in 2009. The region also witnessed a process of rapid urbanization during the same period. While only 30% of the region’s population lived in cities and towns in
1960 -compared to 32% globally- the urban proportion of the Middle East has almost doubled to 57% and exceeded the world average which currently stands at 50%.
These trends have exerted great pressures on the transportation networks of the region’s cities and town, resulting in high traffic volumes and congestion. Policy responses to these pressures have typically been directed towards upgrading and expanding road networks, which encouraged further urbanization and personal vehicle use, that in turn led to additional traffic volumes and congestion. In effect, road upgrading policies have helped compound the challenges it sought to resolve, creating a negative and costly feedback loop .
To continue reading, please visit the original article on Carboun’s website.
Carboun Journal Summary of Carboun’s Recent Articles
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“The enduring situation of power shortages over the past few decades has largely undermined the government’s authority”
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If you would like to propose/discuss a local project, propose an article, or suggest news for this publication, please email us at [email protected] or contact your national coordinator directly.
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OutreachJoining Carboun
Carboun Letters Contributors:
General CoordinatorKarim Elgendy [email protected]
Jordan National CoordinatorRashed Al Nasa’a [email protected]
Kuwait National CoordinatorMounir Kabbara [email protected]
Lebanon National CoordinatorGuy El Khoury [email protected]
UAE National Coordinator: Wissam Yassine [email protected]
Carboun Ambassador Amr Elesawy
Carboun AmbassadorLinda Pappagallo
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Carboun has recently announced new openings for Carboun National Coordinator, Carboun Ambassador, and Carboun Student Ambassador roles around the Middle East and North Africa region.
If interested in taking part and helping shape the future of the region in a more sustainable direction, please submit your application before 15 may 2012.
Staying in touch