Kuwait in denial, ignores renewable energy

JAHRA, Kuwait (AP) — It was so hot last summer in Kuwait that birds fell dead from the sky.

The seahorses died in the hot waters of the bay. The rocks were full of dead clams, with the shells open, as if they had been steamed.

Temperatures reached 53.2 degrees Celsius (127.7 Fahrenheit), making Kuwait one of the hottest regions in the world.

Climate change poses existential dangers all over the world. But the heat waves in Kuwait are so severe that many people find them unbearable. Scientists believe that those who take to the streets could be at risk of death from the heat by the end of the century. A recent study indicated that 67 per cent of heat-related deaths in Kuwait's capital were related to climate change.

Despite this, Kuwait remains one of the largest producers and exporters of oil, and continues to pollute the environment. Immersed in political paralysis, he remained silent as petrostates in the region joined nations that set targets to eliminate emissions — but not reduce oil exports — in the run-up to last year's UN climate summit in Glasgow.

On the contrary, Kuwait's prime minister insisted on an old promise to reduce emissions by just 7.4% by 2035.

“We face a severe threat,” said environmental consultancy Samia Alduaij. “And the answer is so shy that it doesn't make sense.”

Struggling to combat climate change, the small oil nations of the Persian Gulf are committed to reducing their emissions, which are relatively insignificant in the framework of global efforts to contain warming, but have significant symbolic value.

Kuwait, with 4.3 million inhabitants, on the other hand, does nothing. It is paralyzed, partly because of populist pressure in parliament and also because the income of almost all officials who regulate emissions are the ones most dependent on oil production.

“The government has the money, information and manpower to make a difference,” said legislator Hamad al-Matar, director of Parliament's environmental commission. “But he's not interested in environmental issues.”

The country continues to burn oil to generate electricity and is one of the world's leading carbon emitters per capita, according to the

World Resources Institute. While asphalt melts on the roads, Kuwaitis are sheltering in malls with powerful air conditioners. Renewable energy meets only 1% of energy demand, well below the 15% that Kuwaitis set for 2030.

An hour from Jahra, wind turbines and solar panels emerge from the sand, reflecting Kuwait's ambitions to start a transition to renewable energy. But almost a decade after the government installed solar panels in the western desert, there is almost no movement in that area.

At first, the Shabaya Energy Park exceeded expectations, according to engineers. The first plant in the Persian Gulf to combine three renewable energy sources — solar, wind and solar thermal — put Kuwait at the forefront of this movement. The wind plant generated 20% more energy than predicted in its first year, according to the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research.

But the project soon lost momentum. The government gave up control to attract private investment, an unprecedented step that led to legal proceedings on how to sell electricity to the country's only energy supplier.

Instead of moving forward with the successful hybrid energy model, investors used the rest of the park to produce solar thermal energy, which is the most expensive.

There were years of delays and cancellations. The future of the project is still in the air.

“The people in charge made the wrong choices,” said Waleed al-Nassar, a member of the Supreme Council for Environment, Planning and Development. “No one intervened or wanted to understand (the situation). Everyone said, 'let's keep doing what we've been doing for 70 years. '”

The disputes also affected the natural gas sector. While natural gas generates significant amounts of gas emissions that heat the environment, they burn it more cleanly than coal and oil.

Kuwait has 63 trillion cubic meters of gas reserves, 1% of the world's total, which is almost unexploited. Camps it shares with Saudi Arabia have been closed for years due to disputes over land use.

The parliament, which considers itself the custodian of natural resources in the face of the ambitions of foreign firms and corrupt businessmen, often hinders exploration for gas. Lawmakers continually question the government's authority to grant lucrative energy contracts and summon oil ministers for questioning on suspicion of mismanagement, thus holding back major projects.

The legislature seeks to preserve the generous benefits of citizenship. Kuwaitis enjoy electricity and oil among the cheapest in the world.

When ministers propose that the government stop spending so much money on subsidies, legislators resist it and debates often end with punches.

“That's one of our big problems. They see it as an acquired right,” commented urban development expert Sharifa Alshalfan.

Subsidies benefit even the rich.

Everyone consumes needlessly and leaves their air conditioners on even when they go on vacation.

“We haven't taken the steps that are taken in the rest of the world to provide incentives for people to change their behavior,” Alshalfan said.

The economy stagnated and the country faces a financial crisis of historic proportions, with a budget deficit of $35.5 billion, resulting from last year's fall in oil prices.

While Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates enter the renewable energy market, Kuwait does not change course.

“Renewables are much more cost-effective,” said consultant Ahmed Taher, who promotes a model that reduces subsidies to Kuwait's energy sources and encourages homeowners to invest in a solar project.

“The government needs to know how much money could be saved and how many jobs it could generate,” he said.

For now, however, Kuwait continues to burn oil and pollute.

“When you walk in the bay, sometimes you want to vomit,” said environmental activist Bashar Al Huneidi.