- Home
- Middle East
- UAE
- Capping global temperatures hinges on transforming carbon-intensive sectors, hears UK-UAE industrial ..
Capping Global Temperatures Hinges On Transforming Carbon-intensive Sectors, Hears UK-UAE Industrial Conference
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published November 25, 2021 | 08:00 PM
DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 25th Nov, 2021) Ministers, trade officials, and business leaders from the UAE and UK have stressed the importance of bilateral agreements and investments between the two countries to ensure the most carbon-intensive sectors can contribute to national 2050 net-zero targets. The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) Week today heard how the two nations have a thought leadership role to play in helping the global manufacturing, aerospace, and construction sectors decarbonise by leveraging Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies and developing innovation ecosystems.
Following the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow earlier this month, around 90% of the world economy is now covered by a 2050 net-zero commitment, Simon Penney, UK Trade Commissioner for the middle East and UK Consul General in Dubai, told the audience at the UAE-UK Conference during the GMIS Week. But net-zero goals "will not be met unless government and industry work together," he said.
Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, UAE Minister of State and UAE Co-Chair of the UAE-UK Business Council, said: "Manufacturing, engineering, and construction will need to change if we are to achieve 2050 net-zero goals. With the construction sector contributing nearly 40% of global energy-related emissions, retrofitting existing buildings and developing greener and more efficient buildings will be an important factor in keeping global warming below 1.5 C."
He added: "I hope that today’s discussion will lead to new partnerships between the UK and UAE in delivering the transformation of the manufacturing, aerospace, and construction sectors as we begin our journey to net zero." During an opening address, Lord Udny-Lister, UK Co-Chair of the UAE-UK Business Council, said: "We are going through a transformation of the industrial sector. Manufacturing is a key driver of the UK economy, representing half of our exports and contributing nearly US$200 billion to the economy. But many of the sectors depend on carbon-intensive processes, and collectively they represent around 12% of the UK’s direct greenhouse emissions. Reaching net zero by 2050 will require much more fundamental change." Referring to the UAE’s recent US$10 billion investment in the UK, he noted that the Gulf country’s investors are playing "an increasingly important role" in pursuing the UK’s decarbonisation objective.
At the conference’s first session, dedicated to advanced manufacturing, Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of Sharjah Research, Technology & Innovation (SRTI) Park, said: "Governments have a big role in incentivising the private sector to adopt technologies related to additive manufacturing. The private sector doesn’t want to disrupt its operations and spend money on things they don’t necessarily understand. The role of the government is to raise awareness of these technologies and raise skills. Through collaboration with the UK, we can accelerate the deployment of these machines." But new technologies and techniques need to be supported by a skilled workforce.
The manufacturing sector is currently facing a significant skills shortage.
In a panel discussion called ‘Addressing the Skills Gap in Manufacturing’, Jan Ward, CEO of Corrotherm, noted that net-zero targets in industry cannot be achieved without the constant development of skills, and stressed the need for governments to support this priority.
Ali Al Marzouqi, Acting Deputy Director General of Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational education and Training (ACTVET) and President of EmiratesSkills, said the UAE is attracting the young generation to the manufacturing sector by "making it exciting". "This is the new way, and I advise other countries to follow it. In the UAE, the interest has increased dramatically."
During a session on ‘Decarbonisation of Aerospace’, Mariam Al Qubaisi, Head of Sustainability & Business Excellence at Etihad Aviation Group, said: "The lowest-hanging fruit is carbon credits." Ana Haurie, Co-Founder and CEO or Respira, echoed her comments: "We need to support nature because it’s available to use right now. Technology will take time."
Mansoor Janahi, Deputy Group CEO of Sanad, added: "There must be an incentive for decarbonisation. Becoming carbon-neutral will come at a cost, so there has to be a concerted effort. There has to be an offset." In the ‘Decarbonisation of Construction and Infrastructure’ panel, the group of experts discussed the need for collaboration between governments, academia, and the private sector to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment, which contributes some 39% of total global emissions. One of the key areas to address is retrofitting existing building stock, according to Jonathan Holyoak, Policy and Net Zero Programme Director at Atkins, who demanded "meaningful regulation, not just targets" from policymakers.
Rob Jackson, Chief Growth Officer at Asite, said: "Of the 39%, almost 75% comes from existing buildings and 25% is from the construction itself. How do we drive efficiency into that existing building stock? Technologies such as digital twins can support that." He added: "It would be great if all countries could adopt international standards. One of the key areas of collaboration between the UK and UAE is to establish common standards. That would help to inform investors and de-risk investments." The GMIS Week included the two-day #GMIS2021 Summit on 22-23 November, The Green Chain Conference and The Global Prosperity Conference on 24 November, and country-focused conferences in partnership with the UK, Australia, and Italy. Throughout the six-day event, a manufacturing and advanced technology exhibition is featuring over 30 world-class exhibitors to highlight the UAE government’s ‘Make it in the Emirates’ campaign, a first-of-its-kind initiative to encourage local and international investors, developers, and innovators to benefit from the facilities and incentives offered by the country’s industrial sector.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Tennis: ATP Barcelona Open results - 1st update
Swiatek's perfect 10 in Stuttgart as Vondrousova stuns Sabalenka
Arandu's roads closed due to flooding
Oil tanker catches fire in Islamabad’s Blue Area
Pakistan committed to ensure safety of foreign nationals: FO
Tennis: WTA Stuttgart results - 1st update
Four passengers injured as train hit an empty vehicle
Over- speeding bus crushed to death two bike riders
Turkey's Freedom Flotilla ready to set sail for Gaza
French teen dies from heart failure after knife attack near school
Iranians appear unfazed by Isfahan blasts
UAF celebrates Int'l Chinese Language Day
More Stories From Middle East
-
UAE announces ‘Zero Bureaucracy Program’ to reduce bureaucracy
3 months ago -
COP28 President-Designate welcomes Transitional Committee agreement to operationalise Loss and Damag ..
6 months ago -
Global Media Congress 2023 to feature Co-Production Majlis as a new networking platform
6 months ago -
Young female athletes shine at Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship
6 months ago -
King of Jordan receives Abdullah bin Zayed and ministers participating in Arab coordination meeting
6 months ago -
Abdullah bin Zayed participates in coordination meeting of Arab foreign ministers, joint meeting wit ..
6 months ago
-
3rd annual conference of Emirates Society of Clinical Microbiology kicks off in Dubai
6 months ago -
SIBF 2023 hosts Nobel laureate to discuss emergence of ‘Afrofuturism’ in global discourse
6 months ago -
ALC announces winners of Kanz Al Jeel Award 2023
6 months ago -
SIBF turns spotlight on remarkable contributions of women
6 months ago -
Global assets in spot bitcoin ETFs hit $4.16 billion
6 months ago -
Rescuers struggle to find Nepal quake survivors as deaths reach 157
6 months ago