In an interview with ESG Mena, Dr. Mohammed Abu Zahra, the Global CCS Institute’s Head in the MENA Region, stresses on support to the UAE’s climate action agenda in preparation for hosting the COP 28.
Following is the full interview:
Q1- Would you tell us more about The Global CCS Institute?
The Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute (Global CCS) is an international think tank that aims to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage, a vital technology to tackle and deliver climate neutrality and climate change.
The Institute team seeks ways to adopt carbon capture storage technology that is quick and cost-effective by exchanging experiences, building capabilities, and providing advice and support to enable this vital technology to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
We are headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with offices in Washington DC, London, Brussels, Beijing, and Tokyo. Last year, we launched the Institute’s regional headquarters in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.
The Institute also actively participates in energy, environment, and sustainability events such as Middle East Energy, where we will be showcasing various solutions, from light and binding energy to energy storage and management.
Q2- Your organisation is tapping into an unconventional technology – Would you please tell us more about its explicitly?
When the topic arises of carbon emissions, our focus is on how to eliminate or avoid them. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an innovative technology that captures carbon dioxide – typically from a point-source at an industrial facility, or directly from ambient air – and storing it back underground before it has the chance to impact the atmosphere. Once the CO2 is captured, it is safely transported and injected into a storage site, developed at around 1 kilometer below the Earth’s surface.
While deployment of CCS projects has really scaled-up over the last decade, this technology is mature and has been around for about 50 years. To date, over 200 million tonnes of CO2 has been successfully captured and stored through CCS, and that number will continue to rise.
The good news is that the Gulf region hosts a significant amount of potential geological CO2 storage. This will allow energy-intensive industries to take on CCS ambitions more readily once these storage sites are developed, and as the low-carbon transition continues to get underway.
Q3. Would you please tell us about your participation in Middle East energy? How is your approach is being received in the region from the public and private sectors?
I am honored to support the 48th Middle East Energy as a member of the technical committee and to take the stage as a keynote speaker to discuss the current status and potential of carbon capture technologies in the power sector.
The Global CCS Institute drives the adoption of CCS as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible by sharing expertise, building capacity, and providing advice and support so this vital technology can play its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Our diverse international membership includes governments, global corporations, private companies, research bodies, and non-governmental organisations; all committed to CCS as an integral part of a net-zero emissions future.
Q4. What role will the Institute play during the United Arab Emirates’ hosting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28)?
As an observer to the UNFCCC, the Institute looks forward to attending COP 28, both to host side-events for delegates seeking to learn more about the value of CCS, and to observe key climate negotiations. The institute supports the UAE’s climate action agenda in preparation for hosting the COP 28 conference this year, especially since the UAE intends to launch its path to achieve climate neutrality. As an international think tank, we aim to provide information and thought leadership that will drive and support more ambitious goals to reduce carbon emissions in all economic sectors.
We work directly with several United Nations agencies, contributing to strengthening the role of carbon sequestration in combating the climate change crisis. With our new location in the UAE’s capital, we are keen to coordinate with ministries, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and other bodies by participating in all initiatives to achieve climate neutrality.