European Union

  Highlights for Monday, 10 December 2018 Oceanographic Museum of Monaco The Third Meeting of Signatories (MOS3) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks (Sharks MOU) began Monday, 10 December, at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. Delegates heard opening remarks from Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat; Chair Robert Calcagno, CEO, the Oceanographic Institute, Monaco; and Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Relations and Cooperation, Monaco. They underscored that scientific data are alarming; threats that sharks face are “globalized and complex,” and sharks’ conservation will greatly benefit from further international cooperation. In the morning, delegates also heard reports of: the Sharks MOU Secretariat; signatories and cooperating partners; the Advisory Committee; and the Intersessional Working Group. They also considered an analysis of national reports and decided to establish a working group to further improve the online reporting tool. An informal group met in the afternoon to develop the working group’s terms of reference. In the afternoon, delegates heard introductory remarks and exchanged initial opinions on: proposals for the amendment of the Advisory Committee’s terms of reference; criteria for the inclusion of species in Annex 1 of the MOU; the new format for listing proposals as agreed at the 12th Conference of the Parties of the CMS; and budgetary and administrative matters.A keynote speech by Pierre Frolla, Monegasque free diver and world record holder, Ecole Bleu, focused on sharing diving experiences and on the power of images to effectively communicate messages related to ocean conservation, especially with youth.A welcoming reception, hosted by the Principality of Monaco and attended by Prince Albert II of Monaco, took place in the evening. Key takeaways from the first day included: establishment of a working group to improve the online reporting tool, increasing flexibility and enabling signatories to better report on conservation efforts and relevant activities; recognition from analysis of national reports that legislative gaps exist in many countries, as well as high levels of incidental by-catch of CMS Appendix I species; the considerable need to scale-up budgetary contributions to match ambitions and allocated tasks; and the importance of using visual messages to increase public engagement, especially with children. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided a summary and analysis report from Sharks MOS3. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. From L-R: Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Relations and Cooperation, Monaco; Chair Robert Calcagno, CEO, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco; and Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat   Chair Robert Calcagno, CEO, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Relations and Cooperation, Monaco Angela Martini, EU Ocho Modeste Abel Adou, Côte d'Ivoire Soule Hamidou, Comoros Julia Lawson, Shark Advocates International Oliver Schall, Germany Angela Martini and Katarzyna Janiak, EU Beatriz Ladines Villamar, Ecuador Vice-Chair David Hogan, US Mohammed Mobarak Alshamlan, and Zuhair Al Mubarak, Saudi Arabia Sarika Singh, South Africa, and Mohamud Hassan Ali, Somalia Participants conferring during a coffee break John Carlson, Chair, CMS Advisory Committee Andrea Pauly, CMS Secretariat Ralf Sonntag, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and Pierre Gilles, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco Daniel Kachelriess, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)   right: 0; padding: 10px 4px; font-size: 14px; color: #232323; line-height: 1.4; border-bottom: 1px solid #494949; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px; margin-top: -3px;">Pierre Frolla, free diver and world record holder, focused on the power of images to effectively communicate messages related to ocean conservation. Reception hosted by the Principality of Monaco Prince Albert II of Monaco Around the venue  

Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Tuesday, 11 December 2018 The following event was covered by IISD Reporting Services on Sunday, 9 December 2018: Sustainable Innovation Forum 2018: Panel Session on Sustainable Mobility Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Sustainable Innovation Forum 2018: Panel Session on Sustainable Mobility Presented by Delta Electronics Foundation L-R: Andreas Klugescheid, BMW Group; Yann Francoise, Head of Climate, Energy, and Circular Economy Strategies, City of Paris; Björn Hannappel, Deutsche Post DHL; Valentino Sevino, Director of Mobility Planning, City of Milan; and Victor Cheng, Senior Vice President, Delta Electronics This event, held during the 2018 Sustainable Innovation Forum, brought together sustainable mobility experts to discuss: how to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles, what cities are doing to support the demand for electric vehicles, how to fast track decarbonization in the transport sector, and how to overcome infrastructure and charging challenges. Andy Eastlake, Managing Director, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP), moderated the session, saying that the mobility sector needs to ensure innovations respond to users’ needs. In a keynote presentation, Andreas Klugescheid, BMW Group, highlighted his company’s progress in decarbonizing the sector, reporting on BMW’s electro mobility portfolio since the creation of BMWi, a sub-brand of electric vehicles (EVs). He also highlighted improvements in battery technology that have led to longer vehicle ranges and cost reduction. Victor Cheng, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Information and Communication Technology Business Group, Delta Electronics, shared his belief that, in addition to cooperation between governments, companies, cities and institutions, innovative technologies are needed for a sustainable future. He shared examples of clean energy and energy efficiency solutions deployed by Delta Electronics, and emphasized how the expansion of EV charging infrastructure is key to boosting EV adoption. He also noted how smart energy systems will be required to cope with the pressure that EVs will place on electricity grids, sharing how EV batteries can be used for household storage as an example. Valentino Sevino, Director of Mobility Planning, Agency for Mobility, Environment and Territory, City of Milan, described Milan’s sustainable mobility plan and its four pillars: mobility, sustainability, innovation and efficiency. Within the plan, he highlighted that low-emission zones are playing an increasingly important role in reducing emissions, congestion and air pollution in the city. He said that Milan currently has 50 cars per 100 inhabitants, a rate that the city wishes to reduce. One means of achieving this, Sevino explained, has been through working hard to develop EV sharing services, which, he described, act as a “doorway to EV adoption.” Sevino also suggested Milan would like to engage the private sector in installing EV charging points. Björn Hannappel, Head of GoGreen, Deutsche Post DHL, noted that DHL has had climate goals for the company since 2008, long before the adoption of both the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. He described five “I’s” needed to expand electric mobility: Innovation, particularly regarding trucks and aviation; Infrastructure, such as the expansion of charging networks; Information and transparency; Impulse, referring to customer demand; and Inspiration coming from greater leadership in the field. He also shared DHL’s goal to fully decarbonize by 2050 and experiences with electrifying its fleet, including how they acquired a car construction startup to produce effective electric delivery vans. Decarbonization, he explained, not only reduced DHL’s environmental footprint but was a means to increase profit and future proof their business. Yann Francoise, Head of Climate, Energy, and Circular Economy Strategies, City of Paris, stressed the importance of sending consistent policy signals, citing Paris’ decision to ban diesel cars from 2024 as an example. He also called for the European Union to adopt similar progressive, long-term policies to assist the sustainable mobility transition, saying that waiting for manufacturers to innovate will be insufficient. Moderator Eastlake invited panelists to discuss technological innovations and policy aspects that would encourage the uptake of electric mobility. Cheng stressed the need for improved battery technology to deliver more energy storage, faster charging and increased affordability. He also emphasized the need for more charging stations and a stable electrical supply. Sevino said the city of Milan is creating opportunities to provide the best solutions for citizens, and highlighted EV tests through a joint research center. Hannappel emphasized the need for better regulation, noting that it currently takes nine months to install an EV charging point in Germany. In response to questions from the floor, panelists discussed: the circular economy of EV batteries, noting that their lifespan has been longer than expected and second-life usages such as electricity storage in warehouses; lower EV maintenance costs compared to combustion engine vehicles; the state of hydrogen fuel cell development, nothing that this technology is most promising for heavy duty and long-range vehicles; the need to reinforce electricity grids in rural areas to support EV uptake; and how potential consumer concerns about the asset devaluation of EVs may be mitigated by a more general transition away from privately-owned vehicles. Andreas Klugescheid, BMW Group Valentino Sevino, Director of Mobility Planning, City of Milan Moderator Andy Eastlake, Managing Director, LowCVP Yann Francoise, Head of Climate, Energy, and Circular Economy Strategies, City of Paris Victor Cheng, Senior Vice President, Delta Electronics Participants watched a video from Delta Electronics Thomas Jalili Tanha, Lancaster University Björn Hannappel, Deutsche Post DHL Participants pose questions from the floor Participants and panelists during the event L-R: Ophelia Kuo and Yalin Tsai, Delta Electronics, and Yvonne Chan, Delta Electronics Foundation Participants from Sudan CONTACT Johnny Shih, Delta Electronics | johnny.shih@deltaww.com MORE INFORMATION www.delta-foundation.org.tw/cop24

Highlights for Saturday, 8 December 2018 Delegates huddle during the SBSTA closing plenary Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Sunday, 9 December 2018 The Katowice Climate Change Conference concluded its first week on Saturday. Each of the subsidiary bodies held their closing plenaries and forwarded work related to the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) to the COP for further work during the second week of the conference.Decisions for several other issues were finalized and sent for adoption by the COP, CMP, and CMA, including a decision on the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples’ Platform, which establishes a Facilitative Working Group, with equal representation of parties and indigenous peoples.On the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, delegates were unable to agree whether they “welcomed” or “noted” the report. Many countries called attention to how the Special Report outlined the impacts of climate change, and supported the work of the IPCC, urging welcoming the report.As the subsidiary bodies finished their work, Sarah Baashan, Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group for the Paris Agreement (APA) said: "We have seen how a small group of people can achieve a great difference in the fight against global change."Next week, discussions will continue, and many expect the ministers to help make political choices that can unlock persistent disagreements in the PAWP.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily reports, daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis from the Katowice Climate Change Conference – December 2018. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page APA Contact Group Delegates during the APA contact group Beth Lavender, Canada, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 4 - adaptation communication Andrew Rakestraw, US, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 5 - transparency framework Outi Honkatukia, Finland, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 6 - global stocktake Sin Liang Cheah, Singapore, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 3 - mitigation APA Co-Chairs Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, and Jo Tyndall, New Zealand María del Pilar Bueno, Argentina, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 8 - further matters, Adaptation Fund Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 7 - committee to facilitate implementation and promote compliance The draft APA conclusions are distributed in plenary Delegates read the draft APA conclusions The final APA family photo Informal Consultations throughout the Day Informal consultations on further matters - Adaptation Fund (APA item 8) Contact group on matters relating to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) (CMP agenda item 4) Family photo of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement SBI Closing Plenary SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, eSwatini, convenes the SBI closing plenary SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, eSwatini Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary SBSTA Closing Plenary SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France, convenes the SBSTA closing plenary SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France Catherine Stewart, Canada Ayman Shasly, Saudi Arabia Delegates huddle during the meeting UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa and members of the UNFCCC Secretariat Delegates from Saudi Arabia and the Russian Federation Delegates huddle UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa Francois Paulette, Indigenous Peoples Ian Fry, Tuvalu Representatives of the Indigenous Peoples sing at the conclusion of the SBSTA closing plenary Joint Plenary of SBI, SBSTA, and APA View of the dais during plenary Gebru Jember Endalew, Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Amjad Abdulla, Maldives, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group Jacob Werksman, EU Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Martine Badibang Kamunga, Democratic Republic of the Congo, speaking on behalf of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) Laura Juliana Arciniegas Rojas, Colombia, speaking on behalf of the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC) APA Co-Chairs Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, and Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, gavel the APA to a close for the last time The 'Fabulous Four' - SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France, SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, eSwatini, and APA Co-Chairs Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, and Jo Tyndall, New Zealand COP Plenary View of the dais during the COP Plenary Civil Society Climate Change Protest in Katowice Security presence outside the COP 24 venue Approximately 3,000 demonstrators take to the streets of Katowice to demand political actions that prevent temperatures rising by more than 1.5°C Around the Venue UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa and Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, walk through the venue Marcela Main Sancha, Secretary to the COP Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaks with delegates Stella Gama, Malawi, speaks with delegates from Saudi Arabia Yungratna Srivastava, Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs), speaks with Trigg Talley, US APA Co-Chair Jo Tyndall, New Zealand Delegates from Fiji Xiang Gao, China Delegates from Europe Seyni Nafo, Mali, during an interview UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, and Alex Saier, UNFCCC Secretariat, during a press conference Around the Japanese Pavilion

The following event was covered by IISD Reporting Services on Saturday, 8 December 2018: Promoting Sustainable Urban Mobility Together with Local Actors in Latin America Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Promoting Sustainable Urban Mobility Together with Local Actors in Latin America Presented by EUROCLIMA+ Photo at the end of the event This event brought together representatives from the European Union (EU) and its EUROCLIMA+ initiative, as well as from Latin American countries, to share progress, lessons and challenges in promoting sustainable urban mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean. Guillermo Dascal, EUROCLIMA+, moderated the event. Ismo Ulvila, European Commission (EC), underscored that, in addition to financing infrastructure, technical and regulatory expertise are also needed to promote sustainable urban mobility. He suggested that the EU’s experience working in long-term, multi-stakeholder processes to develop mobility strategies would be useful to share with partners in Latin America. Horst Pilger, EC, noted the long history of EUROCLIMA+ and said that urban mobility should be prioritized in Latin America as it is a major and growing source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the region. Niklas Hagelberg, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), explained that Latin America is ripe for developing electric mobility due to the large share of renewable energy in national energy grids and the advanced level of public transportation use. He previewed findings from an upcoming UNEP report on electric mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean, noting that the volume of electric vehicles in the region is still minimal. He added that electric utilities are starting to lead with pilot projects, highlighting the importance of incentives, and the region’s existing strengths in vehicle manufacturing and lithium reserves. Paulina Potemski, MobiliseYourCity, emphasized the value of bringing all local stakeholders to the table for effective mobility planning. She also described MobiliseYourCity’s work in supporting developing countries as they elaborate sustainable urban mobility plans, and in building a Latin American community of interest in mobility planning. In the discussion, Paola Visca, Uruguay, cited governmental commitment to reducing GHG emissions, inter-ministerial collaboration, and multi-stakeholder climate policy development processes as key to Uruguay’s progress in promoting sustainable urban mobility. Carolina Urmeneta, Chile, noted that inter-ministerial collaboration was also important to Chile’s progress, along with domestic pressure to improve air quality. Andrea Meza Murillo, Costa Rica, highlighted the importance of effective infrastructure planning and building codes, noting that infrastructure decisions can lock in emission pathways for decades. Mark Major, Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport, introduced the Platform for Sustainable Urban Mobility for Latin America (PLATMUS), which aims to develop sustainable urban mobility projects and communities of practice in Latin America and the Caribbean. Participants also discussed: the need to exponentially grow the pipeline of bankable projects to attract finance; the challenges of attracting and deploying new technology in small countries; and the need to involve local governments in developing and managing urban mobility solutions. Niklas Hagelberg, UNEP, and Paulina Potemski, MobiliseYourCity Horst Pilger and Ismo Ulvila, EC Alicia Riera, Municipalidad de Córdoba, Argentina Moderator Guillermo Dascal, EUROCLIMA+ Andrea Meza Murillo, Costa Rica Mark Major, Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport L-R: Guillermo Dascal, EUROCLIMA+; Horst Pilger, EC; Ismo Ulvila, EC; Niklas Hagelberg, UNEP; and Paulina Potemski, MobiliseYourCity CONTACT Guillermo Dascal, EUROCLIMA+ | guillermo.dascal@euroclimaplus.org MORE INFORMATION http://euroclimaplus.org/ Around the Venue

L-R: Hamoud Al-Otaibi, Saudi Arabia; John Licht, Vanuatu Ambassador to the European Union (EU) and Belgium; and Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Monday, 10 December 2018 IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ meeting coverage, is providing coverage of selected GCC Pavilion events at the Katowice Climate Change Conference - December 2018, including written, digital and video coverage.The following event was covered by IISD Reporting Services on Saturday, 8 December 2018: Energy Efficiency Applications within the Gulf Region Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Energy Efficiency Applications within the Gulf Region Presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia L-R: Moderator Adel Al-Ghamdi and Saleh Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco; Henk Hendrix, SABIC; Raed Al-Shneiber, Saudi Energy Efficiency Center (SEEC); and Bader Alnajjar, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) This event centered on how to fast-track effective policy implementation in national priority areas, including leveraging energy efficiency and resource management to facilitate economic reform and diversification, and promote sustainable development. Moderator Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco, said the session would focus on lessons and practices with respect to energy applications to mitigate climate change in the Gulf region. Saleh Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco, outlined his company’s progression in energy efficiency since the development of the Energy Conservation Policy and the Energy Management Program in 2000. He explained the four Program pillars: policy and regulation; monitoring and targeting; engineering solutions; and knowledge awareness, reporting that Saudi Aramco has achieved 75% of its energy efficiency objectives to date. Al-Qahtani shared the Lead-By-Example (LBE) initiative geared towards promoting energy efficiency at the national level by targeting a 35% reduction in energy consumption in buildings, transportation, and communities by 2020. He reported that the LBE initiative  has been implemented through, among others, transformation to LED lights; more efficient water heaters; conversion of vehicles from V8 to more fuel-efficient V6 engines; and the installation of smart meters. He reported that total annual savings from this initiative is equivalent to one million barrels of oil equivalent, which translates to 350 thousands metric tons of CO2 emissions to be mitigated. Henk Hendrix, SABIC, reported that his institution’s energy and resource efficiency efforts target continuous improvement under the SABIC Energy Management Program. He cited the Site Energy Optimizer tool to simulate, monitor, and optimize the overall site energy performance, and as a tool to enable continuous improvement from different engineering processes at SABIC. The SABIC Certified Energy Expert Training, he said, is also key in developing expertise and transforming culture related to energy use and efficiency. He reported that, to date, 84 graduates have received training through four cycles of the course, highlighting the hands-on approach achieved through case study projects to apply the principles from the training. Hendrix also drew attention to the SABIC renewable strategy aimed at finding ways to implement renewables in order to decrease reliance on fossil fuel energy. Raed Al-Shneiber, SEEC, presented on the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program, which aims at improving energy efficiency in industry, building, and transportation sectors, noting that these three sectors represent collaboratively around 90% of the domestic energy consumption. He highlighted the Program’s major efforts, including: the development of an energy efficiency framework for industrial plants, emphasized on the program’s efforts in providing the necessary enablers for industrial sector such as providing soft loans for energy efficiency projects through the Saudi Industrial Development Fund for energy efficiency-related projects in industry sector; the development of 24 energy efficiency standards and regulations in buildings, such as on insulation and air conditioning (AC) energy efficiency, which have resulted in a 57% increase from 2012 to 2018 in Energy Efficiency Rating requirements for split AC; and the introduction of the Saudi Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard and fuel economy label for light vehicles, which has led to significant improvements in the new fleet’s fuel economy. He then stressed that the Program’s efforts and achievements play a role in contributing to Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification. Bader Alnajjar, KOTC, spoke about the KOTC’s efforts to address the environmental challenges facing shipping, saying that regulations in the shipping industry are “always one step behind” adequate environmental protection. He pointed to the 870 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by the international shipping industry, which transports 80% of world trade. He noted that the KOTC is fully compliant with the International Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships that controls CO2 emissions in the sea, and has implemented additional efforts by investing in: regulating the speed of ships; testing innovative ship designs, such as introducing rudders and propellers within silicon coating; using energy saving devices, such as pre-swirl stators and ducts, on existing vessels; and controlling volatile organic compounds. Alnajjar concluded by highlighting KOTC’s continued efforts to contribute to limiting global warming to 1.5°C, calling for enhanced regional cooperation in the shipping industry by GCC countries. Discussions focused on the technological and economic feasibility of switching to energy efficient technologies. Panelists noted the difficulty of shifting to LNG in the shipping industry due to the lack of appropriate facilities in ports. They noted that LNG markets are currently weak and huge investments would be required to make the shift. Participants also urged that recent successes be consolidated, particularly on energy efficiency. Saleh Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco Moderator Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco Henk Hendrix, SABIC Bader Alnajjar, KOTC Raed Al-Shneiber, SEEC A slide from Raed Al-Shneiber’s presentation Naasir AlHarbi, Saudi Arabia Hanadi Awadalla Abdelrasoul Awadalla, Sudan A participant takes a photo of the panel Dhari AlGharaballi, Kuwait Rana Al-Ghamdi and Nejoud Almatrodi, Saudi Aramco Kimo Goree, Director, IISD Reporting Services, and Abdullah Khalid Tawlah, Saudi Arabia L-R: Alicja Nikodem and Agnieszka Pietras, Poland, and Marloes Smittenaar, Saudi Aramco CONTACT Nejoud Almatrodi | media@ksa-climate.com MORE INFORMATION https://ksa-climate.com/  

Highlights for Saturday, 8 December 2018 L-R: Hamoud Al-Otaibi, Saudi Arabia; John Licht, Vanuatu Ambassador to the European Union (EU) and Belgium; and Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ meeting coverage, is providing coverage of selected GCC Pavilion events at the Katowice Climate Change Conference - December 2018, including written, digital and video coverage.The following event was covered by IISD Reporting Services on Saturday, 8 December 2018: Energy Efficiency Applications within the Gulf Region Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Energy Efficiency Applications within the Gulf Region Presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia L-R: Moderator Adel Al-Ghamdi and Saleh Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco; Henk Hendrix, Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation SABIC); Raed Al-Shneiber, Saudi Energy Efficiency Center (SEEC); and Bader Alnajjar, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) This event centered on how to fast-track effective policy implementation in national priority areas, including leveraging energy efficiency and resource management to facilitate economic reform and diversification, and promote sustainable development. Moderator Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco, said the session would focus on lessons and practices with respect to energy applications to mitigate climate change in the Gulf region. Saleh Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco, outlined his company’s progression in energy efficiency since the development of the Energy Conservation Policy and the Energy Management Program in 2000. He explained the Program's four pillars: policy and regulation; monitoring and targeting; engineering solutions; and knowledge awareness. He reporting that Saudi Aramco has achieved 75% of its energy efficiency objectives to date. Al-Qahtani shared the Lead by Example (LBE) initiative geared towards promoting energy efficiency at the national level by targeting a 35% reduction in energy consumption in buildings, transportation and communities by 2020. He reported that the LBE initiative  has been implemented through, among others: transformation to LED lights; more efficient water heaters; conversion of vehicles from V8 to more fuel-efficient V6 engines; and the installation of smart meters. He reported that total savings from this initiative amount to over one million barrels of oil equivalent, which translates into 500 million kWh of electrical power, enough to power 5,000 average Saudi homes for one year. Henk Hendrix, SABIC, reported that his institution’s energy and resource efficiency efforts target continuous improvement under the SABIC Energy Management Program. He cited the Site Energy Optimizer tool to simulate, monitor and optimize the overall site energy performance, and to enable continuous improvement from different engineering processes at SABIC. The SABIC Certified Energy Expert Training, he said, is also key in developing expertise and transforming culture related to energy use and efficiency. He reported that, to date, 84 graduates have received training through four cycles of the course, highlighting the hands-on approach achieved through case study projects to apply the principles from the training. Hendrix also drew attention to the SABIC renewable strategy aimed at finding ways to implement renewables to decrease reliance on fossil fuel energy. Raed Al-Shneiber, SEEC, presented on the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program, which aims to improve energy efficiency in the industrial, building and transportation sectors, noting that these three sectors represent, together, around 90% of the domestic energy consumption. He highlighted the Program’s major efforts, including: the development of an energy efficiency framework for industrial plants, providing the necessary enablers for the industrial sector such as providing soft loans for energy efficiency projects through the Saudi Industrial Development Fund for energy efficiency-related projects in the industrial sector; the development of 24 energy efficiency standards and regulations in buildings, such as on insulation and air conditioning (AC) energy efficiency, which have resulted in a 57% increase from 2012 to 2018 in energy efficiency rating requirements for split AC; and the introduction of the Saudi Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard and fuel economy label for light vehicles, which has led to significant improvements in the new fleet’s fuel economy. He then stressed that the Program’s efforts and achievements play a role in contributing to Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification. Bader Alnajjar, KOTC, spoke about the KOTC’s efforts to address the environmental challenges facing shipping, saying that regulations in the shipping industry are “always one step behind” adequate environmental protection. He pointed to the 870 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by the international shipping industry, which transports 80% of world trade. He noted that the KOTC is fully compliant with the International Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships that controls CO2 emissions in the sea, and has implemented additional actions by investing in: regulating the speed of ships; testing innovative ship designs, such as introducing rudders and propellers with silicon coating; using energy saving devices, such as pre-swirl stators and ducts, on existing vessels; and controlling volatile organic compounds. Alnajjar concluded by highlighting KOTC’s continued efforts to contribute to limiting global warming to 1.5°C, calling for enhanced regional cooperation in the shipping industry by GCC countries. Discussions focused on the technological and economic feasibility of switching to energy efficient technologies. Panelists noted the difficulty of shifting to liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the shipping industry due to the lack of appropriate facilities in ports. They noted that LNG markets are currently weak and huge investments would be required to make the shift. Participants also urged consolidating recent successes, particularly on energy efficiency. Saleh Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco Moderator Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco Henk Hendrix, SABIC Bader Alnajjar, KOTC Raed Al-Shneiber, SEEC A slide from Raed Al-Shneiber’s presentation Nasser Al-Harbi, Saudi Arabia Hanadi Awadalla Abdelrasoul Awadalla, Sudan A participant takes a photo of the panel Dhari Al-Gharaballi, Kuwait Rana Al-Ghamdi and Nejoud Almatrodi, Saudi Aramco Kimo Goree, Director, IISD Reporting Services, and Abdullah Khalid Tawlah, Saudi Arabia L-R: Alicja Nikodem and Agnieszka Pietras, Poland, and Marloes Smittenaar, Saudi Aramco CONTACT Nejoud Almatrodi | media@ksa-climate.com MORE INFORMATION https://ksa-climate.com/