Good morning, everyone. New tax exemptions for green tech in Jordan and the UAE’s growing interest in Malaysia’s carbon-capture sector are the highlights of what is otherwise a reasonably slow late-summer moning.

Outside the region, the big climate story is the European Union’s decision to lower a planned tariff on Tesla’s Chinese-made EVs, saying it will hit Tesla’s vehicles with a 9% charge rather than the 20.8% originally proposed. The decision came after the EU reviewed its decision at the company’s request.

Other companies won’t be spared: The European Commission maintains that China is subsidizing EV production, leading it to say will impose duties on BYD (17%), Geely (19.3%), and SAIC (36.3%). Other companies will see their sales to the EU subject to a duty of 21.3%.

Why did Elon get a break? The European Commission said its investigation found that Tesla received lower subsidies from the Chinese government compared to most Chinese EV manufacturers. The EU said earlier this year that it thought Chinese electric vehicles were unfairly subsidized, telegraphing that it would impose the duties we’re now seeing take shape.

The story made headlines in the international press: Reuters | Bloomberg | The Guardian | The NewYork Times | Wall Street Journal | CNBC

DESALINATION-

US’s Energy Recovery to supply Morocco with seawater desalination tech: American energy tech manufacturer Energy Recovery has secured contracts worth USD 27.5 mn to supply its energy efficient pressure exchanger tech to desalination projects in Morocco, according to a press release. These contracts will supply over 1 mn cubic meters of potable water per day for municipal and agricultural use, benefiting over 600k people.The tech is expected to reduce energy consumption in desalination by up to 60%, and prevent over 475k tons of carbon emissions annually.

REMEMBER- Morocco’s water crisis has reached new levels: Morocco’s water reserves have significantly declined, with filling rates dropping to 27.87% earlier this month. During the same period last year, dams reached a filling rate between 31-32%. but high summer evaporation rates and siltation have made that number even lower in recent months, with 63 dams across the country feeling the impact. Moroccan cities, including Casablanca, are now experiencing low water flow and limited bathroom access, with southeastern and eastern regions most affected. This has been an ongoing problem, with Morocco experiencing five years of drought.

WORTH READING-

Oil and gas companies are the real winners after controversial carbon credit changes: The fossil fuel industry may be the main beneficiary of recent changes allowing greater use of carbon credits to offset emissions, Bloomberg reports, citing comments made by Canada’s former environment minister, Catherine McKenna. McKenna argues that a shift towards prioritizing carbon credits over reducing oil and gas supply would risk allowing these companies to maintain their harmful environmental practices while still claiming to meet climate targets. The former minister’s comments come in response to a recent suggestion by the Science Based Targets Initiative’s board that more carbon credits should be used to abate Scope 3 emissions.

Where does the SBTi stand? SBTi — the world’s leading verifier of corporate net-zero targets — suggested in April that carbon credits could be used to offset Scope 3 emissions — which refers to those produced by a company’s supply chain and customers. This move has sparked controversy in some corner as critics claim carbon credits are a tool for greenwashing rather than a genuine solution to the climate crisis. In response to the backlash, the SBTi said it would maintain its restrictions on the use of carbon credits for corporate climate targets, citing insufficient scientific support for broader use.

DANGER ZONE-

Climate change is increasingly affecting mental health, WHO warns: The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on Southeast Asian countries to strengthen their mental health systems to address the growing impact of climate change on psychosocial well-being, the Asian News International (ANI) reports, citing comments made by WHO Regional Director to South-East Asia Saima Wazed. “Climate change exacerbates many social, environmental, and economic risk factors for mental health, with Southeast Asia being one of the most vulnerable regions to this,” Wazed said.

How does climate change impact mental health? Studies have found that extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts, can cause psychological distress and trauma.

Rising temperatures, air pollution, and infectious diseases can also lead to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide. The terms “climate anxiety” and “ecological grief” have recently been coined to describe the phenomenon.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Turkey will host the International Conference on Clean and Green Energy Engineering from Saturday, 24 August to Monday, 26 August in Izmir. The event will gather researchers and professionals to share advances in clean energy. It will also offer a platform to discuss the latest research, practices, and applications in clean and green energy engineering.

The UAE will host the World Utilities Congress from Monday, 16 September to Wednesday, 18 September in Abu Dhabi. The event will gather global energy leaders, policymakers, and other industry professionals from the power and water utilities value chain to discuss industry trends and challenges.

Saudi Arabia will host the EV Auto Show from Tuesday, 17 September to Thursday, 19 September in Riyadh. The show offers a platform for participants to learn about the latest EV technologies and services.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

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