Afkār is a publication of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, providing short-form analyses, insights, and perspectives on regional issues and developments from the Council's experts and outside contributors. Afkār is published in English and Arabic, and is edited by Omar H. Rahman.
Across the Middle East, the countries most vulnerable to climate change are often the least equipped to secure and deploy climate finance. Closing this capacity gap will require financing institutions and stronger regional support to prioritize vulnerability above all else.
The GCC is expanding solar energy infrastructure at a record pace across landscapes that are more ecologically complex than they appear. The challenge—and opportunity—is to ensure that clean energy development and ecosystem health advance together.
By prioritizing short-term gains over action on climate change, Trump is widening the gap between Washington's and Gulf states' approaches to an increasingly existential challenge.
With many countries still reliant on dirty fuels like coal, LNG has a big role to play as a bridge fuel to a cleaner future. But will heavy investment in LNG production make the bridge too long?
As the EU implements its ambitious policies aimed at combatting climate change, it must avoid undermining its own energy security by alienating key suppliers.