Middle East and North Africa regional generators continue to push ahead with solar projects, as Doha hosts the latest UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference. Opening the first climate change talks to be held in the Middle East, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres observed on 26 November that “the Gulf region has an unequalled world stage to showcase the contributions being made to reduce the Gulf’s food and water vulnerabilities, to put regional growth on a more sustainable path, and to build a safer, stronger and more resilient energy future for all countries.”
Conference president ’Abd Allah al-’Attiyah, formerly energy minister and now chairman of Qatar’s Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, stressed that “climate change is a common challenge for humanity. We must work in earnest for a better future for present and for future generations.” Yet despite regional concerns over climate change, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that the Middle East will rely less on renewables for power generation than other regions. (CONTINUED - 519 WORDS)
