The Future Minerals Forum, recently held in Riyadh, carries important connotations in a capital that usually hosts energy conferences, as the largest oil exporting country in the world. In addition to being another proof of the seriousness in implementing policies to diversify the economy, this…

A former senior official at an international organization reminded me, when we met recently, of an article I wrote in 2000, entitled 'EU Follows UN in Wasting Development Aid.' This official, who retired years ago after decades of international development work, said: "When it was first…

Environmental action in 2022 culminated in an image of the self-congratulatory applause of heads of delegations and international organizations, on what they called a "historic deal", at the conclusion of the 15th meeting of the biodiversity convention (COP15) held in Montreal. However, heads of…

As soon as the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP 27) concluded, preparations for future climate summits were underway, as if the matter was a mere accumulation of conferences. Officials and negotiators, along with fans of conference tourism,…

Now that the dust of the climate battles in Sharm El-Sheikh has settled, it is time for a level-headed assessment that helps draw lessons and morals. It is also necessary to rectify some assumptions adamantly describing the summit as a failure, based on an elusive set of unrealistic goals.    No…

By the time the climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh concludes, the outcomes will be classified under metaphors, ranging from failure and weakness to glorious victory. This is often due to unrealistic perceived goals or excessive hostility on one hand, and passionate national pride on the other. Some…

After long rounds of negotiations following the Climate Summit in Glasgow last year, world leaders will meet tomorrow in Sharm El-Sheikh at the 27th summit (COP27). After two days of speeches, in which states present their visions and set their conditions, with leaders setting the stage for…

The quest to meet national commitments to reduce carbon emissions, and the instability facing energy markets, have brought the option of nuclear energy back in circulation, as it is carbon-free and can produce uninterrupted electricity. But most environmental groups are opposed to nuclear plants,…

The world meets at the Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Summit in less than a month, overwhelmed by worries and conflicting concerns. It will not be easy for negotiators to bypass the consequences of war and the economy, to tackle the challenges of climate change. Even though the Sharm El-Sheikh summit …

The persistent delay in addressing the issue of the aging supertanker Safer, used as a floating storage and offloading vessel, which threatens unprecedented pollution in the Red Sea region, proves that the world often does not learn from past experience. It seems that we ignore time bombs, as…