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The MENA region is falling behind its climate-related SDGs: Arab countries across the region are falling behind in achieving their climate and green energy-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the Arab Region SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2023 (pdf) prepared by UAE’s Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The report measures Arab nations’ current performance towards all 17 SDGs, giving each a progress score out of 100, while identifying the trend direction for each of the indicators.
Which ones matter to the climate industry? Six of the 17 SDGs are directly related to climate and sustainability; SDG 6 on clean water, SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy, SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities, SDG13 on climate action, SDG 14 on life below water, and SDG 15 on life on land.
About the scoring system: Depending on how countries score out of 100 in each SDG — which is broken down into several indicators — the country receives either a red (major challenges remain), orange (significant challenges remain), yellow (challenges remain), or green (SDG achieved) scores. The trend directions for each country are also broken down into colored indicators, with red signifying a decrease in progress, orange indicating stagnation, yellow reflecting moderate improvement, and green denoting that the country is on track or maintaining the SDG achievement.
What were the most common and pressing challenges faced by most MENA countries? The most prominent climate challenges experienced by the region were affiliated with SDG6, SDG 7, and SDG 11. The report concluded that not a single country succeeded in achieving SDG 6 on clean water, with most Arab countries receiving red scores on water stress measures — signifying a failure to manage water resources. Additionally, the majority of Arab countries received a red score for SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy due to an inadequate roll out of renewables, which the report indicates is now moderately improving. All Arab countries received red scores on the air quality sub indicator under SDG 11, with no positive trends observed in any country. None of the countries attained a green score concerning death rates caused by air pollution.
Which countries are doing better than others on SDG7? Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar received a red score on SDG7, while Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the UAE received an orange score. However, all of the countries mentioned (except for Algeria which is in a stagnant stage), are seeing moderate improvements in their progress to achieve the goal. In the subcategory of renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output) under SDG7, Egypt and Morocco received an orange score with a stagnant trend, Oman received a red score with a stagnant trend, while Saudi Arabia and the UAE got a red score also with a stagnant trend.
And which are making progress on SDG11? Algeria and Tunisia got a red score on SDG11, while Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia got an orange score. The UAE and Kuwait were the only MENA countries to get a yellow score. In terms of trends, scores are decreasing for Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, while Egypt, Oman, KSA, and the UAE saw moderate improvements, and Morocco and Tunisia are facing stagnation. SDG 11 measured the concentration of particulate matter, satisfaction with public transport, and access to improved water sources.
Life below water is in the red… A majority of Arab nations received red scores for SDG 14 on life below water. The only countries that did not receive a red score are Jordan, Oman, Palestine, and Qatar, which received an orange one. With regards to the trends, most are either decreasing or stagnating, with the exception of Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE. This goal measures marine biodiversity, overfishing, protected areas, amongst other indicators.
… and things aren’t looking much better on land: Overall performance on SDG15 was poor, with no countries achieving a green or even yellow score (with the exception of Tunisia). The state of life on land for all countries is either decreasing, or stagnating, with the exception of Morocco. SDG 15 measures biodiversity, protected sites, and species survival.
But there’s some good news for Morocco: Morocco was the only country in the region to receive a green score on SDG 13 on climate action, signaling a relatively low level of CO2 emissions and a low rate of people affected by climate related disasters. Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia were not far behind, achieving a yellow score, followed by Algeria which got an orange score, while the rest (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE) got red scores.
Less developed countries are performing better on climate action than their richer neighbors… Low-income and conflict-affected countries performed better on SDG 13 compared to high-income countries mainly due to lower levels of consumption and economic activity, which in turn means less CO2 emissions.
… but they continue to bear the brunt of the climate-crisis: Failure to meet SDGs has led to heightened vulnerability for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the face of climate change, with these nations receiving red scores on the SDG 13 sub indicator on the number of people affected by climate-related disaster. LDCs will require substantial support and financing to achieve targets concerning climate adaptation and nature conservation, the report emphasized.
Suggested actions:To address these issues, the report suggests usingdata-driven policy to ensure inclusive and science-aligned energy transitions while identifying socio-economic challenges.Policymakers and international organizations can utilize the data provided in the report to guide strategic actions including more efficient resource allocation and policy formulation tailored to each country’s unique context.
