Publications

Impacts of Global Climate Policies on Middle Eastern Oil Exporters: A Review of Economic Implications and Mitigation Strategies

Salaheddine Soummane, Aisha Al-Sarihi

Climate policies are tightening in an effort to curb carbon dioxide emissions. As a result, global oil demand may peak and gradually decline, causing oil prices to fall. A structural fall in oil prices may have serious implications for Middle…

Soummane, Salaheddine

Al-Sarihi, Aisha

The Circular Carbon Economy Index 2022 – Results

Mari Luomi, Fatih Yılmaz, Thamir Al Shehri

The circular carbon economy (CCE) concept provides a holistic, flexible and pragmatic framework for countries to plan their energy and economic transitions to lower carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emission levels and, ultimately, net-zero emissions. The CCE Index measures countries’…

Luomi, Mari

Yılmaz, Fatih

Al Shehri, Thamir

Implementing Circular Carbon Economies in the Gulf and Beyond

The circular carbon economy (CCE) is an energy transition framework that is based on a holistic, technology-neutral and country context-sensitive approach to achieving net-zero emissions. It embraces all available technologies and tools, from renewable energy to carbon capture and storage…

The Circular Carbon Economy Index 2022 – Results

Mari Luomi, Fatih Yılmaz, Thamir Al Shehri

The circular carbon economy (CCE) concept provides a holistic, flexible and pragmatic framework for countries to plan their energy and economic transitions to lower carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emission levels and, ultimately, net-zero emissions. The CCE Index measures countries’…

Luomi, Mari

Yılmaz, Fatih

Al Shehri, Thamir

Digital Transformation in the Context of the Energy Transition

For decades, the oil and gas industry has delivered the world with the best value proposition in the forms of reliable, affordable, safe energy supplies. As global population projections soar, demand for all forms of energy is also set to…

Digital Transformation in the Oil and Gas Industry: Hype or Hope?

Majed A. Al Suwailem, Abdelghani Henni

For decades, the oil and gas (O&G) industry has provided the globe with the best value proposition in the form of reliable, affordable, and safe energy supplies. As global population projections soar, demand for all forms of energy is also set to rise,…

Al Suwailem, Majed A.

Abdelghani Henni

The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Circular Carbon Economy: Progress and Potential

Mari Luomi, Fatih Yılmaz, Thamir Al Shehri

Over the past year, all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have updated their medium-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets by submitting revised nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and…

Luomi, Mari

Yılmaz, Fatih

Al Shehri, Thamir

Plastics in the Circular Carbon Economy

Plastics are a critical category in the chemicals value chain and have helped shape the modern economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of plastics in people’s lives. Throughout the international community, the demand for plastic has surged during…

Potential implications of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

Bertrand Rioux, Dongmei Chen

From 2023 onward, the European Union’s (EU’s) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will require importers to declare the embedded carbon emissions of electricity, iron, steel, aluminum, cement and fertilizers. The CBAM will ultimately transition into a carbon import tax, with…

Rioux, Bertrand

Chen, Dongmei

COP 26 Outcomes and Opportunities for Saudi Arabia and Other Arab Countries

Mari Luomi

The 2021 Glasgow Climate Change Conference, also known as COP 26, took place at a difficult juncture. Countries are still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences. The concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere continue to…

Luomi, Mari

The Circular Carbon Economy Index 2021 – Results

Mari Luomi, Fatih Yılmaz, Thamir Al Shehri

There is an urgent need to align global carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions with climate-safe trajectories. A broad range of technologies and approaches are needed to achieve this cost-effectively and equitably. The circular carbon economy (CCE) concept provides…

Luomi, Mari

Yılmaz, Fatih

Al Shehri, Thamir

The Implications of Soaring Gas and Coal Prices on Europe’s Energy Poverty Trap

Fateh Belaïd

With the recovery of the world economy following the easing of restrictions designed to contain COVID-19, energy demand has surged even as natural gas stocks were dangerously low. This triggered one of the first significant energy shocks of the green…

Belaïd, Fateh

The Circular Carbon Economy Index 2021 – Methodology

Mari Luomi, Fatih Yılmaz, Thamir Al Shehri

The Circular Carbon Economy Index (CCE Index) aims to measure countries’ progress in and potential for achieving circular carbon economies (CCEs). The CCE Index is based on two sub-indices: one for measuring countries’ current performance in the various dimensions of…

Luomi, Mari

Yılmaz, Fatih

Al Shehri, Thamir

Countries’ Progress and Enablers for Circular Carbon Economies

The circular carbon economy (CCE) is a new concept, developed in detail by Saudi scholars and stakeholders since 2019 and promoted via Saudi Arabia’s Group of Twenty (G20) presidency in 2020. The CCE is conceptualized as an economy in which…

Supply-side Climate Policy for Crude Oil Producers

Paul Zakkour, Wolfgang Heidug

This paper considers the potential for supply-side climate policy to increase climate action, with a focus on crude oil producers and exporting countries. To date, supply-side policies have not been widely used in efforts to tackle climate change, and the…

Zakkour, Paul

Heidug, Wolfgang

Green Growth Pathways for Saudi Arabia

Green growth emphasizes that positive environmental outcomes can be consistent with economic prosperity and that greater social wellbeing can be achieved through ‘less use, more value’ policies.

Is Saudi Arabia Getting Warmer?

Nawaz Peerbocus, Hatem Al Atawi, Turki Alaqeel, Abdulrahman AlJulaifi

According to NASA, the world is getting warmer. Warmer weather increases the demand for cooling, which subsequently increases the demand for electricity. Is Saudi Arabia getting warmer? And how might this impact the demand for electricity in the Kingdom? To…

Peerbocus, Nawaz

Al Atawi, Hatem

Alaqeel, Turki

AlJulaifi, Abdulrahman

The Relentless Politics of Climate Change: The Paris Agreement

Saleh Al Muhanna, AlJawhara Al Quayid, Nourah Al Hosain

The Paris Agreement entered into force in November 2016 and, to date, 187 parties have ratified it (UFCCC). The Agreement’s goal is to limit the increase in global temperature to 2 degrees Celsius (°C) above] pre-industrial levels. The Agreement established…

Al Muhanna, Saleh

Al Quayid, AlJawhara

Al Hosain, Nourah

Finding a Viable Path to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Keigo Akimoto, Jun Arima, Mustafa Babiker, Mark Caine, David Hobbs, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Adam Sieminski, Nico Stehr, Hiroyuki Tezuka, Masakazu Toyoda, Eric Williams

A viable, least-cost pathway to a low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions future must lie within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement. The rulebook for the Agreement was in many ways rewritten at the 2018 United…

Keigo Akimoto

Jun Arima

Babiker, Mustafa

Mark Caine

Hobbs, David

Eija-Riitta Korhola

Adam Sieminski

Nico Stehr

Hiroyuki Tezuka

Masakazu Toyoda

Williams, Eric

The Political Feasibility of Enhancing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Targets in the European Union’s Mid-Century Strategy

AlJawhara Al Quayid, Saleh Al Muhanna, Paul Mollet

Article 4.19 of the 2015 Paris Agreement calls on signatories to formulate and communicate “long-term low greenhouse gas development strategies,” widely known as the mid-century strategy (MCS). Any enhancement of the European Union’s (EU’s) targets in its MCS depends on…

Al Quayid, AlJawhara

Al Muhanna, Saleh

Mollet, Paul