Search

Industrial decarbonization is a daunting challenge given the relative lack of low-carbon options available for “hard to decarbonize” industries such as iron and steel, cement, and chemicals. Hydrogen, however, offers one potential solution to this dilemma given that is an abundant and energy dense fuel capable of not just meeting industrial energy requirements, but also providing long-duration energy storage. Despite the abundance and potential of hydrogen, isolating it and utilizing it for industrial decarbonization remains logistically challenging and is, in many cases, expensive. Industrial utilization of hydrogen is currently dominated by oil refining and chemical production with nearly all of the hydrogen used in these applications coming from fossil fuels. The generation of low-carbon or zero-carbon hydrogen for industrial applications requires new modes of hydrogen production that either intrinsically produce no carbon emissions or are combined with carbon capture technologies. This review takes a sociotechnical perspective to examine the full range of industries and industrial processes for which hydrogen can support decarbonization and the technical, economic, social and political factors that will impact hydrogen adoption.

Natural gas development across the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain —has become a priority for achieving long-term energy security and for supporting economic diversification initiatives (Shabaneh et al. 2020).

How does culture influence low-carbon energy transitions? How can insights about cultural influences guide energy planners and policymakers trying to stimulate transitions, particularly at a time of rapid technological change? This Review examines the influence of culture on a selection of low-carbon technologies and behavioural practices that reflect different dimensions of sustainability. Based on a typology of low-carbon technology and behaviour, we explore the cultural dimensions of four specific cases: eco-driving, ridesharing, automated vehicles and whole-house retrofits. We conclude with recommendations for those seeking to analyse, understand, develop, demonstrate and deploy low-carbon innovations for sustainable energy transitions. Culture influences low-carbon energy transitions and as a result should be considered in the design of relevant policies. Focusing on a selection of low-carbon technologies and behavioural practices, this Review highlights the role of culture with respect to different dimensions of sustainability.

Smart home technologies (SHT) refer to devices that provide some degree of digitally connected, automated, or enhanced services to household occupants. Smart homes have become prominent in recent technology and policy discussions about energy efficiency, climate change, and the sustainability of buildings. Nevertheless, how might culture shape the diffusion and use of the technologies used in smart homes? What cultural barriers may impede their adoption, or embed more carbon-intensive lifestyles? Lastly, do smart home technologies truly promote sustainability goals? Based on an extensive original dataset involving expert interviews in four countries—Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and original media content analysis, this study explores the cultural aspects of smart home technology adoption as well as the consequent impacts on sustainability. In doing so, the study elaborates on an array of social, technical, political, economic and environmental dimensions of smart home technology diffusion, with clear implications for research, policy, and technology development. In this sense, we call for more comprehensive, progressive, innovative and sensitive technology design so as to advance SHT adoption and fulfill some of the sustainability and climate objectives their advocates continually promise.

We conduct a comprehensive mapping and cost analysis of the renewable energy (RE) technology options available to the United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) energy system. Based on projected demand and the true (unsubsidized) costs of fossil fuel supply, the substitution cost of each option and its respective potential is estimated. We demonstrate that a significant acceleration of the existing RE plans can be achieved with positive economic benefits for a number of options – before accounting for health and environmental benefits, or new opportunities for hydrocarbon exports – and that the full portfolio can be completed at a cost that is less than 1 US Dollar (USD) per gigajoule (GJ) when accounting for the avoided subsidies by 2030. Growing opportunity cost of gas, falling solar prices and abundant solar resources are the biggest drivers behind these results. Cumulatively implementation of these options results in RE contributing to 10% of UAE’s total final energy consumption in 2030. This achievement, seen in the context of the global effort to increase renewable energy penetration, is relatively limited, but the rates of increase in RE deployment are actually among the highest internationally given the low starting point and the unavailability of traditional RE sources (biomass and hydro) in the UAE. Moreover, they herald the implications of RE’s rapid shift to cost-competitiveness in a country like the UAE.

While all countries belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have set targets for renewable energy deployment at national or local levels, progress to date has been minimal. Analysis of renewables deployment initiatives around the world shows that success is highest when stated targets are supported by well-defined policy frameworks that reflect the regional context. This chapter investigates current trends in renewable energy and climate policy with the aim of helping to identify the most effective and feasible recommendations to catalyze renewables deployment in GCC countries. To develop an optimal policy framework, the chapter considers the GCC context across multiple dimensions, including the underlying motivations for adoption of renewable energy. The findings show that the international policy trend of using renewables auctions to stimulate deployment is optimally suited to GCC countries. Furthermore, regional energy subsidy reforms currently underway may provide a foundation for future policy frameworks aimed at explicit carbon pricing to support regional renewables deployment. An emissions trading system (ETS) is proposed as the most viable mechanism for such carbon pricing. Thus, a phased approach is suggested to create – and over time strengthen – an integrated energy and climate policy framework.

Shale gas resources are proving to be globally abundant and the development of these resources can support the geologic storage of CO2 (carbon dioxide) to mitigate the climate impacts of global carbon emissions from power and industrial sectors. This paper reviews global shale gas resources and considers both the opportunities and challenges for their development. It then provides a review of the literature on opportunities to store CO2 in shale, thus possibly helping to mitigate the impact of CO2 emissions from the power and industrial sectors. The studies reviewed indicate that the opportunity for geologic storage of CO2 in shales is significant, but knowledge of the characteristics of the different types of shale gas found globally is required. The potential for CO2 sorption as part of geologic storage in depleted shale gas reservoirs must be assessed with respect to the individual geology of each formation. Likewise, the introduction of CO2 into shale for enhanced gas recovery (EGR) operations may significantly improve both reservoir performance and economics. Based on this review, we conclude that there is a very good opportunity globally regarding the future of geologic storage of CO2 in depleted shale gas formations and as part of EGR operations.

(2014). KEY VERBATIM EXCERPTS FROM: Mental Health's Market Experiment: Commissioning Psychological Therapies through Any Qualified Provider. Self & Society: Vol. 42, No. 1-2, pp. 7-17.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), despite its small size, is emerging into an influential player in global energy geopolitics. Perhaps counter intuitively, the UAE can successfully leverage a sustainable energy transition to strengthen its position as a global energy leader while providing tangible economic and environmental benefits. To be executed successfully, a sustainable energy transition (SET) requires a careful consideration of available options but also political alignment and popular buy-in. The existence of significant energy subsidies on the demand side differentiates the option space as well as the benefit structure of fossil fuel rich states from other nations that have already progressed toward high penetration of renewable energy. A techno-economic assessment of SET options based on a novel Integrated Energy Model (EIEM) indicates that, under plausible assumptions for fossil fuel costs, the benefits of SET outweigh implementation costs. Keywords: Sustainable energy transition, Energy economics, Renewable energy, UAE energy policy

Demand for electrical power across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is growing rapidly because of rising population, growing urbanization, and economic growth driven by industrialization. The objective of this paper is to analyze the market requirements and trends for the different types of fuels and power generation technologies that can be utilized in the coming years to meet the growing demand for power generation for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Iran, Iraq, and Egypt (referred to in this report as GCC+ countries). The GCC+ countries have historically relied on fossil fuels for power generation, but these fuels are becoming increasing costly for power generation as a result of import costs for fuel importing countries and opportunity costs for fuel exporting countries. The hydrocarbon fuels considered in this study are both conventional and nonconventional, including sweet gas, sour gas, tight gas, shale gas, crude oil, heavy fuel oil, and diesel oil. We assess...

Supporting People All the Way, a review for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation by Steve Griffiths, examines the Supporting People programme in the context of other government plans. Looking at the boundary between residential care and the Supporting People programme, the review finds arbitrary divisions which undermine the programme's objectives, and argues for a redrawing of the boundary with a more coherent relationship between the Government's commitments to foster independent living and to provide personal care.

As the United Arab Emirates is diversifying its energy sources, it is increasingly looking towards solar photovoltaic technology as a viable option. A key factor in promoting this option is the capability to forecast financial viability of solar projects. This paper uses stochastic analysis instead of deterministic analysis and applies it on potential UAE solar power projects to obtain a wider understanding of the variability associated with financial performance, based on the variability and uncertainty in independent input variables.