COP28 in Dubai: the French at the forefront

As the major UN climate conference opens on Thursday, November 30, in the Emirate, two examples of French innovations in Dubai, in favor of the energy transition.

COP28 is a crucial moment in the global fight against climate change. The challenges of this conference are multiple. Starting with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, at the heart of concerns.

Participating countries will have to define more binding commitments to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, in accordance with the Paris climate agreement. This involves increased efforts in the transition to renewable energy, promoting sustainability in industry and transport, and preserving forests. Another challenge is adaptation to the inevitable impacts of climate change.

Pierre Cheyron leads Engie’s teams in the Middle East. Here, the French energy group is working in particular on public lighting. “In a city, he details, Public lighting is one of the largest sources of energy consumption and therefore CO2 emissions. Because all night long, you have to turn hundreds of thousands of lamps.” The group thus won a 10-year contract with Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, to rethink its public lighting network and make it more energy efficient.

“This typically saves a city between 60 and 80% of the electricity needed for its public lighting. So, the impact is very strong on a city’s carbon emissions. That represents around a hundred thousand light points , to be replaced in the next 18 months, and to also add a digital layer which allows public lighting to be controlled and optimized in an intelligent manner.” The group will then be responsible for maintaining this new equipment for 10 years.

Water in the desert

Participants at COP28 next week in Dubai will also need to develop strategies to deal with extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and changes in agriculture. The question of climate financing is also crucial. Developed countries must deliver on their commitments to provide $100 billion per year to developing countries to help them deal with climate change.

Jaufré Rouanet is also based in Dubai. The Frenchman brought the principle of condensation up to date, to capture the water contained in the air: “In a country where there is no natural source of drinking water, in the middle of the desert and the sand, we have an infinite source of water, fresh and pure, coming from the sky, he explains. We extract the humidity from the sky to put it in a reusable glass bottle, with the old deposit system. We have locally produced water to serve the local market.”

There remains an essential element: convincing the consumer that by changing their habits, they will also be doing something for the environment: “It’s as if I were asking Parisians to go and do their garden, explains the Frenchman, it’s a bit the same thing, it requires an individual and personal investment. Everyone would like to go and do their garden, but ultimately, not many people go.”

Because the protection of biodiversity and the preservation of ecosystems will be major challenges of COP28. Biodiversity degradation worsens the effects of climate change, and participants should encourage integrated measures for nature conservation.

Go further

Jaufré Rouanet’s company, Hawa Water (in English)

Find this column on the site, the app and in the international mobility magazine “Français à l’enseignement.fr”