A1SaudiArabia.com

By Querubin J. Mi?as

JEDDAH – The 25 countries that participated in the first-ever Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) have endorsed the “rapid deployment of electric vehicles” as part of the global pursuit to advance clean energy technology and policies.

At the conclusion of the two-day conference in Washington DC on Tuesday, the participants came up with more than a half-dozen new initiatives to accelerate the development of clean energy technologies around the world. The programs include avoidance of the need to build more than 500 mid-sized power plants in the next 20 years, support the growing global market for renewable energy and carbon capture technologies, bring solar lanterns or other improved lighting services to more than 10 million poor people by 2015, and help encourage young women to pursue careers in clean energy.

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SHARJAH – In the aftermath of the global economic crisis, as the world focuses on the effects of global warming and the need to develop long-lasting, clean, but affordable energy sources, the Gulfs energy sector is excellently placed to engage with emerging opportunities, create new ones and position itself at the forefront of the new wave of clean energy solutions, which will ensure future growth and prosperity, said

Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Investments on Thursday.

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ABU DHABI – World leaders raised a fresh alarm on global warming, urging international action to increase use of clean energy at a four-day forum that opened in the emirate on Monday.

“If we dont act now, our coral reefs and rainforests will die, desert countries will become unbearably hot and low lying countries like the Maldives, will slip beneath the rising seas,” said the president of the Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed.

“Tackling climate change is not like dealing with other global issues, such as trade or disarmament. We do not have the luxury of time to meet, year after year, in endless negotiations,” the leader of the low-lying Indian Ocean nation told participants at the World Future Energy Summit.

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ABU DHABI: The events accompanying the third World Future Energy Summit slip into gear on Sunday as the attending delegates and media tour the Masdar site in Abu Dhabi.

Billed as the single most important event of its kind worldwide for stakeholders in energy and environment, the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) takes place each year in Abu Dhabi where the newly created International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) based itself in February 2009. WFES which along with being a conference is a coming together of leaders in the renewable energy fields stages energy and future environment exhibitions during its four-day run.

The organizers intend to provide a meeting place, and an environment to encourage collaboration and a cross fertilization of ideas and technology to tackle policy, innovation and investment issues surrounding renewable energy. Masdar city is the physical result.

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DUBAI: A Renewable Energy Roundtable will be held on Oct. 21 at the Gulf Research Center (GRC) in Abu Dhabi and it aims to address pressing issue of climate change.

The world continues to face the effects of climate change, and reducing our carbon footprint has never been more critical. As fossil fuel consumption cannot continue without harsh repercussions on the environment, new sustainable energy alternatives, policies and practices are required sooner rather than later.

The need to boost renewable energy research in the Arabian Gulf Region to meet growing energy demand is a high priority, especially since the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), officially launched in January 2009, is headquartered in Abu Dhabi.

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CAIRO, Egypt: Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, will host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), participants said, despite criticism of its high carbon footprint.

“Abu Dhabi has won the seat of the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency after voting took place today (Monday) in (the Egyptian Red Sea resort of) Sharm El Sheikh,” the Egyptian official MENA agency said. The European cities of Bonn and Vienna withdrew their candidacy shortly before Abu Dhabi was chosen, one participant with the Emirates delegation told AFP.

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NEW DELHI: Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAEs minister of foreign affairs, held talks yesterday with Farooq Abdullah, Indias minister for new and renewable energy, on collaboration in the renewable energy sector.

Al-Nahyan arrived here on Thursday evening on a brief official visit. He also called on Vice President Hamid Ansari and held talks with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna before leaving for Colombo yesterday.

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