This story was co-published with The Public Source. For the second year running, world leaders convened in the Arab world to negotiate the future of the planet. This backdrop of the United Nations climate conference in Dubai highlights the need for a global shift, which scientific experts say is needed. The region has significant oil and gas deposits, as well as untapped potential for renewable energy. European governments and corporations in recent years have made moves to capitalize on this potential by investing in mega-projects to capture solar energy from the vast deserts and exporting the electricity north. The oil-rich states of the Persian Gulf are also developing green hydrogen plants and wind and solar farms and aim to use renewable energy domestically to increase fuel reserves for export.
However, there are concerns from activists and locals that these mega-projects might reproduce exploitative practices associated with the fossil fuel industry such as land grabbing, unchecked pollution, and the disenfranchisement of Indigenous people. More than a decade after the start of the Arab Spring, many of the same oppressive power structures remain in place, with some governments seeming to prioritize Europe’s renewable energy needs ahead of their own populations.
In this context, Algerian researcher and activist, Hamza Hamouchene, has been exploring what a shift away from fossil fuels in the Arab world could look like. As part of his work with the Transnational Institute, he has interviewed people across the region to ask about their experiences living near oil and gas deposits and planned renewable energy mega-projects. This research has resulted in a new book of essays, edited by Hamouchene and Katie Sandwell, titled Dismantling Green Colonialism: Energy and Climate Justice in the Arab Region.
This book underscores the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels in the Arab world, which is warming almost twice as fast as the global average, leading to devastating effects such as forest fires, sandstorms, and deadly heat waves. However, many proposed renewable energy projects in the region are geared toward exporting energy abroad and do little to serve local communities. Meanwhile, Gulf states have indicated their determination to extract every drop of fuel from their land, with the president of COP28 even casting doubt on the science of climate change at the conference in Dubai.
In a conversation with Grist, Hamouchene emphasized the significance of the Arab world in discussions around phasing out fossil fuels, given that 35 percent of the world’s oil is produced in the Middle East, making the region a crucial player in the global fossil fuel regime. He pointed out that these countries will pose a significant challenge to transitioning away from fossil fuels and urged the global climate justice movement to also focus on Gulf capital and the redistribution of wealth in the region. Additionally, he highlighted the devastating impacts of the climate crisis on communities across North Africa, including pollution and health concerns from fossil fuel extraction.
The new book serves to center voices from the Arab region and shed light on the need for an equitable and just energy transition for communities and working people in the region, addressing aspects of climate injustice and fossil fuel extraction. Through his fieldwork in Algeria, Hamouchene has studied the impact of anti-fracking uprisings and interviewed individuals involved in these movements, providing important insight into the consequences of extractive industries on local communities.
In conclusion, the Arab world’s transition from fossil fuels has significant implications for global efforts to address the climate crisis and redistribute wealth. By highlighting the experiences of communities in the region affected by fossil fuel extraction and renewable energy projects, the book underscores the urgency of ensuring an equitable and just transition away from fossil fuels in the Arab world.
