Assaad Razzouk

What’s needed for renewables to take off is leadership, vision and a commitment to a better society from the Asean political class

The worldwide debate over more environmentally friendly energy is replete with myths that slow down the uptake of renewables. In fact, renewable energy is increasingly competitive, and the transition is entirely feasible for ASEAN countries today

The Green Climate Fund is an essential institution to finance the global shift away from fossil fuel to clean technologies—but it needs an overhaul to remain effective and relevant. Or it will die a slow death.

There shouldn't be a dedicated government department for climate change and energy - all ministries should be equally sensitive to these issues. And while we’re at it with scrapping unnecessary green crap, there also shouldn’t be any green political parties: All political parties should be green.

JP Morgan's announcement that it's pulling out of coal is purest doublespeak, writes Assaad Razzouk. But it's not the only financier to engage in climate hypocrisy, as banks prepare to lend $5 trillion to build 2,440 new coal power stations. To deliver the Paris Agreement they - and the loans that would finance them - must be cancelled.

The 'apocalypse now' rhetoric around climate change is just half the story. Climate change is also a clever business strategy that promotes economic prosperity.

Low oil prices are great news for the climate, crowding out the most damaging sources of oil and gas operating today. They provide governments with a golden opportunity to remove fossil fuel subsidies while introducing more robust carbon prices. Low oil shows why renewables have become synonymous with energy security and local prosperity.

COP20 has just laid the foundations for a non-agreement in Paris in 2015 - thanks to the pernicious influence of fossil fuels, poisoning debate and subverting serious climate action. Now there's only one earthly power big enough to fight back.

Exporting the distinguished culture of the Middle East is critical in any effort to counter the barbaric images of the region currently shaping Asia’s view of Arabs. Arab culture is not visible enough to the rest of the world, and the culprits are the majority of Arab governments, institutions, foundations, and corporations that invest neither time, power, nor money in cultural projects abroad.

So what will happen as agricultural ecosystems across Asia, Africa and Latin America are slowly squeezed, hunger fuels conflict and migration numbers gradually swell by more than ten times, or indeed a hundred times?

"Assaad W. Razzouk considers how we are going to finance the transition to a green economy."

The announcements by the Americans and Chinese are actually distinctly unambitious. It’s time for leaders to lead and propagate the facts: Climate action promotes prosperity.

This will be a parliament with a greater emphasis on social issues including, in particular, climate change. Expect a more sustained push to get the EU emission trading scheme to deliver, and a stronger commitment to emission reductions and to renewable energy across Europe.

Calling for investors to divest from polluters is laudable but won’t be enough

Very little has been achieved despite scientists sounding the alarm time after time

The battle against Big Pharma was won in a way that offers important lessons for the fight against Big Coal, Big Oil and Big Gas

The year just passed may be remembered as a watershed year in climate policy. While climate impacts seem to be occurring more quickly than scientists have ever predicted, we may have witnessed in 2013 the permanent failure of 22 years of United Nations-led climate talks and the “top down” solutions these championed. Emerging instead, with strong momentum, are “bottom up” approaches anchored around citizens, consumer movements, the private sector, countries and local governments.

What will the UN Climate Talks bring over the next 2 years? Expect two dynamics: First, baby steps - in other words no major initiatives, short of a climate change-induced calamity which mobilizes action on a big scale and overcomes the current political inertia. Second, a bottom-up approach anchored around the private sector, countries and sub-national entities, slowly taking over the failed top-down approach pushed by 20 years of UN climate talks.

A carbon market reserve, established now with cheap credits, would smooth out variability and play a key role in allowing the private sector to drive investments of $1 trillion or more into our transition to a low-emissions world.

It's not more climate organisations we need. It's more effective ones.

Six steps the world should take to fight climate change

Pricing natural capital correctly is profitable, results in more sustainable businesses and communities and stops us robbing future generations.

The summit in Russia may herald the end of the stubborn global climate policy recession

"When looking at the Pearl Area as a whole, the art infrastructure begins to show requisite depth, enough to justify Art Dubai’s claim of being an emerging and credible global art fair. Between them, Art Dubai, Abu Dhabi Art, and the Sharjah Bienniale are mobilizing collectors from the Pearl Area’s hinterland (the Middle East, North East and East Africa, Iran, the Indian subcontinent, and Central Asia), outstanding museums and art from the West, curators from around the world, and cultural… Show more

"When looking at the Pearl Area as a whole, the art infrastructure begins to show requisite depth, enough to justify Art Dubai’s claim of being an emerging and credible global art fair. Between them, Art Dubai, Abu Dhabi Art, and the Sharjah Bienniale are mobilizing collectors from the Pearl Area’s hinterland (the Middle East, North East and East Africa, Iran, the Indian subcontinent, and Central Asia), outstanding museums and art from the West, curators from around the world, and cultural programs with depth, variety, and a local personality." Show less

Exporting the US shale gas model is a pipe-dream which if indulged will push the world down the path to climate chaos - truly an international nightmare.

Last week, President Barack Obama gave a potentially transformational speech on climate change which is likely to have a major impact on US business and society. This offers a stark contrast to the inaction seen time and again at the UN climate talks, and the downright destructive climate action taking place in Asia.

The devastation and violence which has ripped Iraq apart has also helped spur a growing art scene. Assaad W. Razzouk writes on Contemporary Iraqi art in Masquerade Magazine, May 2013

In this short paper we briefly describe the concept of a net mitigation fee to be taken from CDM projects at issuance in order to ensure that the CDM contributes to net mitigation. The paper details a number of additional benefits for both host country and CDM project developers. It is described in more details at http://www.pd-forum.net/files/ed84473f99c954b735e348b742e5c643.pdf.

The CDM accelerates clean energy investments and innovation in
developing countries and should be used as the source of offsets in all countries with internal emission trading schemes.

the EU-ETS sends money to polluters and banks, at the expense of EU citizens, their governments, the global community and the cause of greenhouse gas abatement. The cure is straightforward. The market is largely under the control of its regulator; this regulator therefore needs to intervene forcefully and decisively, setting a minimum price for all auctions of emission permits.

Scenarios are food for thought, used by major global corporations and decision makers around the world in setting strategy frameworks and in taking investment decisions affecting billions of dollars of foreign direct investment, and thousands of jobs. In this article, I attempt to sketch two contrasting scenarios addressing the question of exactly which Japan could emerge in 2022. The creation and destruction of fantastic wealth and the livelihood of millions will be affected by the answer.