Sharm El Sheikh – The secretary-general of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), Tamer Mansour, sees Arab countries could finance significant projects in renewable energy, the environment, and climate. He spoke at a panel on the low-carbon industry at an event parallel to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP27) promoted by the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI) at the Renaissance hotel in Sharm El Sheikh.
“I see the Arabs as financers and partners of these big projects since three of the ten biggest investment funds are Arabs,” said Mansour, regarding the funding of renewable energy and sustainability initiatives. However, he realizes the region is at an early stage in this field and recalled that Arab funds are still very dependent on oil.
Mansour believes, however, in the potential the Arabs have in terms of sustainability together with business. “The Gulf countries want to be a reference and have the economic power to become so. The UAE have been investing in sustainable cities and a green economy,” he said. He invited the public to visit the Saudi Green Initiative space, a venue outside the COP, built by Saudi Arabia to showcase its initiatives on climate change, biodiversity, renewable energy, and the carbon market.
The Low Carbon Industry panel aimed to share low-carbon industrial experiences from different countries and regions and was moderated by Davi Bomtempo, executive manager of Environment and Sustainability at CNI. In addition to Mansour, also spoke Dan Byers, vice president of Technology and Climate at the US Chamber of Commerce; Holger Lösch, chair of Business Europe’s Industrial Affairs Committee; Tania Kumar, deputy director of Decarbonization at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI); and Carlo Pereira, executive director of the United Nations Global Compact Network Brazil. Pictured above (left to right), Lösch, Kumar, Byers, Bomtempo, Mansour, and Pereira.
Mansour said six months ago, Sharm El Sheikh was not the city it is today. “It is not a sustainability that came naturally, but it came with the COP27 event,” he said. Around EGP 16 billion (about USD 654.24 million at the current rate) were invested in the city’s infrastructure to host the conference.
The secretary-general also mentioned Rotary International’s Light for the Future project and said the initiative received donations from Brazil for the installation of solar panels in schools in Lebanon, which is experiencing an energy crisis, having lighting for only one to two hours a day. He said Brazil and its Arab community of around 12 million people have compassion and are aiding these initiatives. “I see the ABCC within these projects as a strong partner for institutions and the private sector working in the investment area,” said Mansour.
COP28 in Dubai
The director of Institutional Relations of the ABCC, Fernanda Baltazar, spoke on the prospects for COP28, to be held in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, in 2023, at the same venue Expo 2020 Dubai took place. She mentioned this would be the fifth COP held in the Arab countries, which have already hosted four conferences, two in Marrakech, Morocco (2001 and 2016); COP18 in Doha, Qatar; and COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh.
The idea is to discuss with the private sector how it could collaborate with Brazil’s schedule at the event. “There is still a lot to demystify about what they have to offer,” said the director. She also spoke on the complementarity in Brazil-Arab relations in food security. “Brazil is a strategic partner, and they want new interactions,” she said.
Baltazar also spoke about sustainable initiatives in the UAE, such as the sustainable city of Masdar, which is a model of 100% renewable energy and home to academic institutions dedicated to the research and development of renewable energies.
COP28 will take place from November 6 to 17, 2023. In preparation for the conference, Expo Dubai will host a series of sustainability-themed events next year. Dubai’s edition was considered one of the most sustainable in the Expo’s history and brought together all segments of society around critical topics for humanity.
The event held by the CNI had the ABCC among its supporters.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
