Publications

Key Drivers of Decarbonizing Hard- to-Abate Energy- System Sectors by Midcentury

Raphael Apeaninga, Puneet Kamboj, Mohamad Hejazi

o limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C, achieving a net-zero or near-zero greenhouse gas emission energy system by midcentury is essential. This ambitious target requires the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors, particularly transportation and heavy industry. This study employs an…

Apeaninga, Raphael

Puneet Kamboj

Hejazi, Mohamad

The Circular Carbon Economy Index 2024 – Results

Mari Luomi, Fatih Yılmaz, Hind Aldhuwaihi

The 2024 CCE Index provides a multidimensional overview of the current state of net-zero transitions worldwide, covering 125 countries from all world regions. It is based on the holistic, technology-neutral and flexible concept of the circular carbon economy (CCE), where…

Luomi, Mari

Yılmaz, Fatih

Aldhuwaihi, Hind

Why Does Sustainable Finance Not Flow into the Global South?

Fatih Yılmaz, Akin Cilekoglu

While private sustainable finance flows have grown substantially in recent years, they are heavily concentrated in certain countries – primarily in a few advanced economies. Emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) face significant barriers to accessing much-needed private funds for…

Yılmaz, Fatih

Cilekoglu, Akin

Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the GCC Built Environment

Fateh Belaïd

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, encompassing Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, is distinguished by rapid urbanization, robust economic growth, and substantial energy consumption. The built environment has expanded significantly to accommodate burgeoning populations…

Belaïd, Fateh

Assessing the Impact of Energy Transition Initiatives on the Policy Cost of Saudi Arabia’s Net- Zero Ambition

Raphael Apeaninga, Puneet Kamboj, Mohamad Hejazi, Yang Qiu, Page Kyle, Gokul Iyer

Saudi Arabia’s ambitious goal to achieve a net-zero economy by 2060 offers a unique opportunity for diversification away from fossil fuels while fostering long-term economic resilience and sustainability. Crucial to this transition are energy policies that steer the Kingdom from…

Apeaninga, Raphael

Puneet Kamboj

Hejazi, Mohamad

Yang Qiu

Page Kyle

Gokul Iyer

Lessons from an International Review of Successful and Unsuccessful Energy Subsidy Reforms

Anwar Gasim, Paolo Agnolucci, Paul Ekins

Many factors contribute to the success of energy subsidy reform. To better understand these factors, we review studies that drew lessons from past attempts at reform. We synthesize the lessons and then expound on them by reviewing our newly constructed…

Gasim, Anwar

Paolo Agnolucci

Paul Ekins

Financing the Decarbonization of Hard-to- Abate Sectors Trends, Issues, and Ways Forward

Fatih Yılmaz

Global transition investments have experienced incredible growth and progress, with the increasing level of participation from private actors in recent years. Investment flows in clean technologies have significantly increased since the COVID-19 era, reaching US$1.8 trillion in 2023, up from…

Yılmaz, Fatih

Using Satellite Technology to Measure Methane Emissions in Arabian Gulf Countries

Anwar Gasim, Walid Matar, Abdelrahman Muhsen, Srivatsan Anand, Julian Akani Guery

Decision makers need high-quality information on the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to take effective climate actions. Of the GHGs, methane can be particularly difficult to measure. Huge discrepancies exist in methane emission estimates at the global, national, and…

Gasim, Anwar

Matar, Walid

Muhsen, Abdelrahman

Srivatsan Anand

Julian Akani Guery

Saudi Arabia and the Circular Carbon Economy: From Vision to Implementation

Mari Luomi, Hind Aldhuwaihi

This case study shows how the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) Index can be used to analyze a country’s CCE performance and enablers in a holistic manner and in a comparative context, relative to other countries. Saudi Arabia is an extremely…

Luomi, Mari

Aldhuwaihi, Hind

Assessing the Potential and Feasibility of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Technologies in Saudi Arabia

Naser Odeh, Julian Hunt, Mohamad Hejazi, Yoshihide Wada

As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia strives to achieve its climate goals and transition its economy away from fossil fuel dependency, understanding the viability and impact of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) options becomes paramount.

Naser Odeh

Julian Hunt

Hejazi, Mohamad

Yoshihide Wada

Southeast Asia and the Circular Carbon Economy: A Rapidly Developing Region

David Wogan, Mari Luomi, Fatih Yılmaz

This KAPSARC Discussion Paper examines six major Southeast Asian economies’ progress and potential on the road to net-zero emissions, or carbon circularity. It does so by using the technology-neutral approach of the circular carbon economy (CCE) and the CCE Index,…

Wogan, David

Luomi, Mari

Yılmaz, Fatih

Middle East and North Africa and the Circular Carbon Economy: Seizing the Potential for Action

Laura El-Katiri, Fatih Yılmaz, Mari Luomi

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is an emerging center of energy demand. Economic and population growth, increasing industrialization as well as rising living standards are all expected to contribute to a continued increase in the region’s energy…

Laura El-Katiri

Yılmaz, Fatih

Luomi, Mari

Residential Electricity Consumption and Rebound Effects in Saudi Arabia: Insights into Bridging the Energy Efficiency Gap

Fateh Belaïd, Jeyhun Mikayilov

The rebound effect refers to the phenomenon where energy efficiency improvements lead to increased energy consumption, offsetting some of the expected energy savings. This article aims to estimate the direct rebound effect of residential electricity consumption in Saudi Arabia and…

Belaïd, Fateh

Mikayilov, Jeyhun

Unlocking Energy Efficiency: Perspectives and Catalysts in the GCC Built Environment

The final COP28 agreement has set an ambitious target by calling for a doubling of the average annual rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030. To achieve this goal, the current 2% improvement in energy efficiency needs to grow steadily,…

Bridging the Gaps for an Orderly Energy Transition: The Role of Sustainable Finance in Saudi Arabia

As governments and organisations across the ­Middle East work ­towards achieving their net-­zero agendas, sustainable finance plays a crucial role by raising capital for proj­ects essential to achieving ­these targets. Robust capital markets, supportive regulatory frameworks, and transparent sustainability reporting…

The Future of Residential Electricity Demand in Saudi Arabia and the Role of Energy Efficiency in the 2060 Net Zero Pledge

Mohammad Aldubyan

Abstract Saudi Arabia has set the ambitious goal to reach net zero by 2060, and reducing domestic electricity consumption and thus curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is critical. Since the residential sector is the biggest consumer of electricity in the…

Aldubyan, Mohammad

The Role and Deployment Timing of Direct Air Capture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Net-Zero Transition

Yang Qiu, Gokul Iyer, Jay Fuhrman, Mohamad Hejazi, Puneet Kamboj, Page Kyle

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2060. Direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) is critical for the country to meet its net-zero target given its reliance on fossil fuels…

Yang Qiu

Gokul Iyer

Jay Fuhrman

Hejazi, Mohamad

Puneet Kamboj

Page Kyle

Can Smart Cities Be Sustainable: An Emerging Field of Research

Journal of Urban Technology

Research on smart sustainable cities (SSCs) has fueled a rapid expansion of scholarly work in recent years. However, the key trends and future research avenues in this field are still ambiguous. This article examines the content of SSC research by…

Fateh Belaïd

Reaching Net-Zero GHG Emissions in Saudi Arabia by 2060: Transformation of the Industrial Sector

Yang Qiu, Puneet Kamboj, Mohamad Hejazi, Gokul Iyer, Page Kyle

The industrial sector plays a crucial role in the economy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Its energy consumption primarily relies on natural gas and oil due to the abundance of these resources and their relatively low administered prices.…

Yang Qiu

Puneet Kamboj

Hejazi, Mohamad

Gokul Iyer

Page Kyle

KEMGEv2: A General Equilibrium Model for Least-Cost Net Zero Emission Pathways in Saudi Arabia

Olivier Durand-Lasserve

This paper describes a novel, dynamic, forward-looking applied general equilibrium model of Saudi Arabia that represents interactions between the energy sectors and the rest of the economy. This model serves to produce long-term scenarios that describe possible energy transition trajectories…

Durand-Lasserve, Olivier