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

Initiative Climate Change Policies and Governance
Type Discussion paper
Date 14 June 2022

Abstract

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 Saudi Aramco have also announced net-zero emission targets. Work is now beginning to develop more detailed roadmaps and implementation plans, some elements of which are already laid out in the updated NDCs.

Authors

Mari Luomi

Research Fellow Mari is a policy-oriented social scientist who has been studying climate change, energy transitions and sustainable development policy in the… Mari is a policy-oriented social scientist who has been studying climate change, energy transitions and sustainable development policy in the Gulf and globally for 15 years. At KAPSARC, she leads the projects on carbon markets and Paris Agreement Article 6, and the Circular Carbon Economy Index. She has worked for other leading energy, sustainable development and foreign policy research institutions, including the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (Earth Negotiations Bulletin), Georgetown University, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, and the Emirates Diplomatic Academy. Mari holds a master’s degree in political science and international politics from the University of Helsinki and a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern studies from Durham University. In addition to a broad research publications portfolio, she has substantial experience in executive training, presentations, policy advisory, and reporting services for multilateral environmental negotiations.

Expertise

Climate Change Policy and Governance
Energy Transitions
Sustainable Energy Policy
Circular Carbon Economy
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development Goals
Economic Diversification and Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Publications See all Mari Luomi’s publications

Enhancing the G20’s Climate Change Policy Agenda with the Circular Carbon Economy Index

Over the past year, all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have updated their medium-term…

22nd June 2023

Lessons from Gulf Cooperation Council Countries’ Participation in the Clean Development Mechanism

Over the past year, all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have updated their medium-term…

6th June 2023

Fatih Yılmaz

Fellow Dr. Yilmaz currently works as a Fellow I in the Climate and Sustainability program. His current research agenda aims to…

Dr. Yilmaz currently works as a Fellow I in the Climate and Sustainability program. His current research agenda aims to enhance our understanding of the financial and economic consequences of the sustainable energy transition and to design effective policies to balance risk and growth prospects.

Prior to joining KAPSARC, Dr. Yilmaz worked as an economist at the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, where he was actively involved in the research and the design of policies for the private and banking sectors. He also worked as a consultant for the World Bank and spent a year as an assistant professor of economics at ADA University.

He has authored various academic and policy articles and attended academic conferences and workshops. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Calgary.

Expertise

Sustainable Finance and Investment
Applied Banking and Finance
Corporate Taxation
Public Economics
Applied Micro-Econometrics

Publications See all Fatih Yılmaz’s publications

Enhancing the G20’s Climate Change Policy Agenda with the Circular Carbon Economy Index

Over the past year, all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have updated their medium-term…

22nd June 2023

The Circular Carbon Economy Index 2022 – Results

Over the past year, all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have updated their medium-term…

5th March 2023

Thamir Al Shehri

Research Lead Thamir is a Research Lead in the Climate & Sustainability program. He is currently focused on creating data-driven tools to… Thamir is a Research Lead in the Climate & Sustainability program. He is currently focused on creating data-driven tools to identify and evaluate different energy market scenarios and developing the KAPSARC Circular Carbon Economy Index. Thamir also acts as an advisor to the broader energy ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the areas of clean energy transitions, sustainability, and carbon emissions management. He is also a member of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). He previously worked as a lecturer in Australia and has entrepreneurial and industrial experience working on award-winning projects such as the Burj Khalifah Building Management System.

Expertise