Can you do some research and see if Qatar has any policies on limiting CO2 emissions. If you couldn’t find a lot of policies, you can make just a small subsection about that. If there is a lack of policies available in Qatar, write about the things that could work.
Please write a recommendation section (1-2 pages, have at least three well developed points).
Please write a discussion section (about a page).
The incentive for Qatar to have renewable energy integration is very small. The incentives for Qatar to implement renewable energy is very little. So, highlight that. Tell me why it’s little. Tell me why there’s almost no need for the country to do any major transitions.
Perhaps, write a bit more about the need for Qatar to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
There needs to be a Methodology section (only one page). For the Methodology section, write about the different references being used.
Qatar Renewable Energy Analysis
Introduction
The climate change challenge affects all parts of the world, but some regions, such as the Middle East, will be the worst hit. Experts expect the region to experience a rise of 2°C and up to 4°C.[1] The increase in temperature could cause severe and prolonged heat waves to the region’s already hot climate. Climate change could increase desertification and cause droughts, leading to the non-habitability of many parts of the Middle East.[2] The land could no longer support agricultural activities, threatening food security. Climate change challenge affects animals and humans since it destroys their source of livelihood. Notably, the cause of the climate change challenge is high greenhouse emissions. For instance, the Middle East is the prominent oil and natural gas producer, the leading contributor to greenhouse emissions.[3] Furthermore, the rapid growth in the region’s population has exacerbated the problem due to the high demand for non-renewable energy to cater to the massive population’s needs. Although the world explores other solutions to address the climate change challenge, developing renewable energy, such as in the State of Qatar, could help to reduce dependence on non-renewable energy and its contribution to climate change.
Qatar Country Profile
Qatar is one of the Gulf Council Cooperation countries, with a total population of 2.6 million as of 2017. Table 1 below shows how the country’s population has been increasing over the years, affecting the number of resources necessary to meet the increasing needs, such as for electricity. The electricity demand has increased along with the increase in the number of consumers. The country’s total energy consumption per capita is considerably high at about 18 toe, with 13 200 kWh of electricity. The consumption rate in the country is the 5th highest globally. The consumption rate has grown rapidly from 2000 to 2014 (chart 1). The consumption rate also increased the CO2 emissions rate to 34.2 tCO2/capita as of 2018.[4] The high demand for electricity places the country at the risk of high climate change due to dependence on oil and natural gas, creating the need for renewable energy sources in the country.
Table 2 shows the main sources of electricity is generated in Qatar. The power generation mix or energy mix shows electricity generation calculated in billion kilowatthours. The leading source is fossil (coal and natural gas) accounting for 38.11, followed by solar installations at 0.01. Other sources, such as wind, nuclear, hydro and geothermal provide a very little quantity of electricity in the country.[5] The leading sources of electricity have a high risk of climate change due to CO2 emissions.
Table 2
Renewable Energy
Sustainable development includes attempts to control or prevent the adverse effects of energy on the environment. Thus, the climate change menace affects attempts to achieve sustainable development, creating the need for mechanisms and strategies to address the problem. The need for renewable energy in Qatar emanates from the high level of emissions in the country. For example, the state is the fifth-largest per capita emitter globally, with the energy sector accounting for the highest level of emissions. Qatar depends on fossil fuel, oil, and natural gas as the primary energy sources, creating a significant challenge to reduce the climate change problem. Industrial processes are also a significant source of GHG emissions, due to methanol, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), ammonia and urea, cement, steel, and plastics.[6] The emissions hinder sustainable development, creating the need for interventions, such as renewable energy.
Qatar has increasingly accepted the generation and usage of renewable energy sources since 2014. For example, in Qatar, the Al Kharsaah Solar PV IPP Project is one of the major projects to increase renewable energy capacity. The Al Kharsaah is the pioneering large-scale solar power plant to generate enough renewable energy to add to the country’s grid. By 2018, the project pipeline was about 7 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity to generate power in the region. [7] With conventional energy technologies in the region, electric power generation has become highly competitive in the GCC countries. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) affirms that such projects as the Al Kharsaah will improve renewable energy generation and usage, such as electricity to improve and diversify the nation’s economy. It will also help the country’s commitment to addressing climate change by reducing CO2 emissions as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Qatar has abundant resources, such as strong solar energy, coupled with an elaborate framework that enables high-level solar energy generation due to reduced solar PV prices of below 3 cents ($0.03) per kilowatt-hour.[8] From a cost-benefit analysis, the resources and frameworks will enable the country to produce low-cost renewable energy with numerous benefits, such as reducing emissions and reducing climate change. With such capacity, the country can generate sufficient energy to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
The renewable energy strategies in Qatar entail three major technological changes to reduce the level of CO2 emissions. First, it involves saving energy on the demand side of the curve by reducing non-renewable energy and ensuring an adequate supply of renewable energy. Secondly, the system consists of improving efficiency at the production phase to improve the quantity of renewable energy through changes, such as increasing the number of solar plants’ capacity. Finally, the strategies focus on reducing the production and use of non-renewable energy by replacing them with renewable energy.[9] National and international policy-makers demand that countries in the Middle East, including Qatar, adopt the Sustainable Energy Development Strategies to reduce carbon emissions and climate change, such as the Emirates Integrated Energy Model (EIEM), which helps the policymakers and other stakeholders to analyze the level of energy demand and supply. The strategies help determine whether the current supply is adequate to sustain demand in such a way that reduces CO2 emissions.
The adoption of renewable energy technologies in a country or state depends on various readiness factors that support their usage. Renewable energy potential is one factor that determines the adoption of technologies to support the generation and use of renewable energy. The resources include solar radiation, wind speed, and land available to help solar PV, CSP, and wind farms. Qatar has considerable solar and reasonable wind resources to generate alternative energy sources through projects, such as the Al Kharsaah project, anticipated to provide sustainable and cost-effective energy at 350 MWp capacity and 800 MWp as its full capacity by in 2022. The government supports the implementation of large-scale renewable energy technologies to offer economies of scale and suitable environments for planning that facilitate development financing in the target country.[10] In Qatar, project-specific targets have been introduced to reveal its support for renewable energy development projects. For example, The Al Kharsaah solar project focuses on sustainability, affordability, and clean energy generation to support industrial, service sector, and domestic usage via the Qatari grid beginning from 2021. The project will provide about 10% of electricity peak demand in Qatar. Besides, it will decrease the level of CO2 emissions by 26 million tons throughout its lifespan. However, it will require 500 million US dollars to set up.[11] The anticipated benefits in increasing electricity production and reducing emissions outweigh the cost.
Readiness Factors in Qatar
Qatar needs to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels that contributes to climate change challenges and increase renewable energy use. Apart from international efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and improve sustainability, the country should engage in national policy attempts to address the country’s challenge and support global efforts.[12] The Qatar government engages various agencies in improving the capacity to generate adequate renewable energy to reduce CO2 emissions. For example, in 2017, the Ministry of Energy and Industry engaged Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) and other stakeholders in adopting the initial renewable energy strategy to increase the diversity of sources and lower the emissions.[13] The effort included global agencies, government bodies, research organizations, and other key stakeholders to support projects, such as the “The (Zero Flaring) project in Al Shaheen field. The nation initiates policy guidelines on how to address the climate change problem and achieve sustainable development. However, current efforts remain limited since the country lacks a clear policy addressing the high levels of CO2 generated in the industrial, transportation, and other uses of energy.[14] Qatar requires a forward-looking, evidence-based policy to reduce CO2 emissions, address climate change issues, and achieve sustainable development. Besides, the government shows commitment to sustainable energy production and use by including events, such as the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, which it anticipates to achieve the carbon-neutral World Cup.[15] The sustainable sporting event in 2022 demonstrates the institutional readiness for sustainable energy by using green structures and renewable energy sources, such as solar power.
The specific and time-bound target for electricity from renewable energy in the country was 6% by 2020.[16] However, the country lacks policy and financial incentives for the development of renewable energy. The lack of adequate support and incentives to adopt sustainable energy in the country is the inadequate policy and legal environment to support renewable energy use. Also, the country has not conducted adequate research to provide enough evidence to support significant transitions. As a result, people remain inadequately informed regarding the importance of renewable energy.[17] Nonetheless, the state recognizes the need for renewable energy sufficiency soon, revealing a commitment to address the climate change predicament.
The Governmental Policies/Strategies
Qatar is one of the Middle East countries that has ratified the Kyoto Protocol that commits to reducing the rate of carbon emissions to address the climate change challenge. Qatar has established climate change mitigation policies, which inform the attempts to develop measures to prevent further climate change. Qatar is committed to sustainable development through Climate Change Initiatives, a range of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The government strives to position the state in a leadership position to create climate change and clean energy initiatives. As part of the Kyoto Protocol, the country submitted a National Communication to the UNFCCC in 2011 to reveal the governmental commitment to address the climate change menace.[18]
Qatar has committed to addressing the climate change problem by joining international efforts to reduce the rate of greenhouse gas emissions. The country has a renewable energy goal of generating 20% of the total energy supply from renewable sources by 2024.[19] The government aims at achieving the goals through measures that the National Communication describes and defined in Qatar National Vision 2030. The government sets out the initiatives to achieve the objectives, such as the corporate goal of Qatar Petroleum to achieve zero gas flaring, country’s Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership to join the World Bank greenhouse gas reduction program, and establishment of national bodies, such as the National Committee for Climate Change. The government has also initiated the national group on “environmental policies for renewable energy to create comprehensive policies to achieve the objective of increasing renewable energy production and use to reduce CO2 emissions.
National Communication has the actual measures that the government intends to take to achieve the goal. The commitment is also outlined in the Qatar National Vision 2030, including strategies, such as Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership to participate in the World Bank greenhouse gas reduction initiative and achieving zero gas flaring through Qatar Petroleum’s corporate objective.[20] The government of Qatar has established formal institutions in managing and addressing climate change challenges. The governmental efforts have supported the development of the infrastructure towards the increased generation and use of renewable energy.
Qatar has internal policy strategies to achieve the objective, such as limiting CO2 emissions. The Constitution of Qatar contains a commitment towards protecting the environment to support future needs. Furthermore, State Law No. 30 and Qatar National Vision 2030 have also focused on reducing the negative impact on the environment, including climate change. The initiative is effective towards the country’s potential to generate 20% of the total energy supply from renewable sources by 2024.[21]As a result, policymakers in the country have assumed a critical step towards minimizing CO2 emissions through technologies, especially in its industrial cities, such as through the increased use of solar energy integrated into the country’s electric grid. Another approach to achieve the goal is designing a future building in new cities by 2020.
The Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) provides national strategies and implementation plans to ensure sustainable development by reducing carbon emissions. The first Qatar National Development Strategy 2011–2016 spearheads an effort to design a national policy to manage greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and the climate change challenge.[22]
The Deployed Renewable Energy Infrastructure
The Qatar government and other institutions have engaged in efforts to create policies to support renewable energy generation and achieve the 20% objective. The country is building infrastructure to produce clean energy, taking advantage of its resource bases, such as solar and wind power, to increase the electric grid’s current supply. The government created the Center for Climate Research during COP18 to support research and development to study the climate change issue and implement initiatives to address them.[23] They study the current level of emissions, estimate reductions through the increase in renewable energy capacity, and recommend the government the most viable energy sources. The initiative addresses current gaps in renewable energy technology knowledge to reduce the current level of carbon emissions. The government also established the National Committee for Climate Change to create the climate policy and other supportive infrastructure to address the issue in the country and engage in regional and global attempts to address climate change through alternative energy sources. The committee has implemented “The Future We Want” as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 to achieve sustainable development by reducing CO2 emissions.
Recommendations
- The government should continue implementing environmental policies for renewable energy and strategies for energy efficiency, optimization, and resource utilization (QPEERU).[24] The infrastructure should serve as a force behind the greenhouse gas mitigation initiatives under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- Qatar, being one of the leading contributors to greenhouse emissions and the climate change challenge due to the high level of fossil fuel usage, needs to have targeted efforts to reduce the negative impact on the environment. The government should create clear policies to increase the development and use of clean sources of energy, such as solar and wind.
- Collaborative efforts are necessary for the public and private sectors to improve the capacity to develop renewable energy plants to ensure adequate production that will limit the usage of fossil fuels.[25] Therefore, the private sector institutions should work with the government to research efforts to develop renewable energy capacity in the country. Such shared efforts will increase the accountability and responsibility of all sectors in the country in reducing climate change impact through the development and use of renewable energy.
- Smart and green economic development processes are necessary for Qatar to ensure sustainable economic development. A good example of such an initiative is smart agriculture, which creates sustainable-managed farms to support food security in the country and reduce unsustainable activities that people engage in searching for food, such as deforestation. The government should also support green energy in all sectors across the country, such as industry and transport, to reduce fossil fuel use. Encouraging all sectors of the economy to develop and use renewable energy will increase demand and reduce the demand for non-renewable sources.[26] For example, if the demand for renewable energy to use in industrial processes increases, the country will be forced to increase its production capacity to meet the demand.
- While a government policy is necessary to increase the production and use of renewable energy to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions, consumers should know the importance of changing their energy use habits. The first step should be to research on how to increase the production and usage of renewable energy. The research will be useful in creating awareness among all stakeholders, including domestic and industrial users, about the alternative sources of energy to increase consumption and reduce dependence on non-renewable sources.
Conclusion
As is evident from the analysis, Qatar is one of the Gulf Council Cooperation countries, whose economy relies mainly on non-renewable energy, such as oil and natural gas. As a result of fossil fuel energy, the country is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. Since Qatar is among the leading contributors to global emissions, significant efforts to reduce the level and its role in the climate change problem are essential. The government and other stakeholders have engaged in climate change action, an amalgamation of firm targets to reduce non-renewable energy dependence. The state has made steps towards achieving renewable energy goals and zero emissions in line with global efforts to address climate change menace. Stakeholders in the private and public sectors are ideally united in the effort to implement renewable energy technology. However, the country has to embrace strategic actions to achieve the goal, such as building a renewable energy technology policy and infrastructure. Since Qatar remains one of the leading exporters and fossil fuel users, significant efforts are required to reduce fossil fuel rate and use.
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