Dubai expanding use of clean energy
As the world moves away from oil for electricity generation the Gulf has taken steps to expand their use of clean energy. This is a bold plan by the UAE to boost the use of renewable electricity from less than 1% to 24% within the next 5 years and could be a game-changer for the region.
Countries in the Middle East, however, have been bucking the trend. The IEA predicts that by 2019, the region – which holds one-third of the world's proven crude oil reserves will still be generating nearly a third of its electricity from oil, with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia leading the way.
With dropping oil prices and growing concerns about climate change this has exposed the downsides of relying on oil. As the Gulf's demand for power continues to rise, the UAE is leading the way in shifting to greener energy resources.
Rachel Kyte, the CEO of the United Nations' Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation:
"The implications of unmitigated climate change for the UAE make its cities unbearably hot, water even more scarce and the region more unstable. Action alone and collectively to live in balance with the planet is fundamental for UAE's future prosperity".