Good morning, friends. The news cycle has slowed to a crawl as business begins to wind down for the year. We have some developments on Korra Energi’s IPO plans and some bits and pieces to delve into from Saudi and Egypt this morning. Shall we?

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- There’s no single story dominating the industry headlines this morning, but the global economy is losing up to USD 25 tn annually due to the failure of sectors like agriculture, energy, and fishing to account for their impact on nature, climate, and human health, according to a report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The report focuses on how treating biodiversity loss, climate change, water scarcity, food insecurity, and health risks as isolated issues drive up economic damages. The unaccounted-for costs from current business practices range between USD 10 tn and USD 25 tn annually, equivalent to a quarter of global GDP. IPBES scientists argue that meaningful discussions about trade-offs in business decisions are essential to bring down financial losses, highlighting the role of misaligned financial incentives like governments spending USD 1.7 tn annually on subsidies that encourage environmentally harmful practices. The story grabbed ink in The Financial Times.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

The Saudi Arabia Smart Grid Conference kicked off yesterday and will run through to Wednesday in Riyadh. The event will gather government officials, scientists, and business leaders covering renewable energy integration, AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, and resilience.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Saudi Arabia may get a new minerals-production holding company: Al Yamama Cement Company, Obeikan Investment Group, and Sultan Holding Company are planning to sign a non-binding MoU to establish a holding company for investments in Saudi Arabia’s metals industry, according to a Saudi Exchange disclosure by Yamama Cement. The new company will target the production of lithium, graphite, silica, and other metals. The MoU, which is expected to be signed soon, will run until June 30 2025, with details on its financial impact to follow.

#2- Acwa Power is set to reach financial close on its 1.1 GW Gulf of Suez wind project by the end of this month, Acwa Power Egypt CEO Hassan Amin told Al Arabiya Business (watch, runtime: 4:01) . The project — set to begin operations by the end of 2026 — will offset 2.2 mn tons of carbon dioxide annually and produce enough power for nearly 1.1 mn households.

We knew this was coming: In September, a source told EnterpriseAM Climate that co-developers Acwa and Hassan Allam were set to secure close to USD 900 mn in financing by the end of the year. The pair were reportedly in talks with the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development over a proposed USD 200 mn loan to finance the wind farm.

And more: Amin said that Acwa is interested in desalination projects in the country in light of Egypt’s plan to produce 3 mn cubic meters of desalinated water over the next three years. Feasibility studies for the company’s USD 4 bn green hydrogen project also wrapped, and the company secured land use agreements with the country, he added. The project is set to begin production in 2029.

IN OTHER EGYPT NEWS- Egypt is planning a grid expansion push to connect solar and wind projects as they come online in the next few years, Al Ahram reports, citing comments made by Egypt’s electricity transmission company Chairman Mona Rizk during the Al Ahram Energy Conference. The plan aims to extend around 1.6k km of transmission lines through 2028, including 55 km of lines dedicated to solar and wind projects as they come online. The country is also in talks with consultants for a battery storage project with a 1.9 GW capacity.

#3- AfDB pours USD 30 mn equity into AFC’s green shares: The African Development Bank (AfDB) has greenlit a USD 30 mn equity investment in Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) to support the rollout of its innovative “green shares” program aimed at funding climate-focused projects across the continent, according to a press release. Some of these funds will be then channeled into renewable energy ventures, including wind and solar power projects in Djibouti and Egypt.

About AFC’s new program: The green shares program will allow AFC to use green equity to mobilize debt funding from capital markets, which will then be on-lent to sub-projects across African economies. AfDB equity investments mark the first contribution to the green shares program, and AFC —whose umbrella equity program mobilized USD 1.1 bn in 2023 — plans to use the funds for green transition projects and long-term infrastructure developments.

#4- European carmakers resort to price adjustments ahead of emissions rules: Several automakers in Europe are adjusting the prices of their vehicles to reduce petrol-powered car sales while spurring those of EVs, Reuters reports. Producers like VW, Stellantis, and Renault have reportedly raised prices on petrol models by several hundred euros in recent months, and some rolled out discounts at EV models.

The rationale: Producers hope that the price adjustments would help cut their car sales emissions footprint and avoid hefty fines before the EU emissions rules become law on 1 January. If the 2024 sales breakdown remains unchanged into 2025, the sector could pay up to EUR 15 bn in fines.

Pooling emissions is another option for carmakers: Some companies may instead opt for pooling emissions — buying credits from rivals with higher EV market share — as a cheaper alternative to meet targets, a Barclays analyst told Reuters. Japan’s Suzuki reached a deal to pool its emissions with Geely’s Volvo last October, which would effectively remove fines risks for Suzuki given Volvo’s large EV volume, data manager at battery consultancy Rho Motion Charles Lester told Reuters.

More on the rules: The rules will reduce the cap on a car’s emission from 95 g of CO2/km to 93.6 g for 2025 to 2029, with the goal of gradual reduction to zero CO2 emissions starting in 2035. It will also alleviate a manufacturer’s emission target if the share of low-emission cars— those releasing between zero and 50 g of CO2/km — equals or exceeds 25% of the total sales. Small manufacturers — those producing less than 1000 vehicles per year — are exempt from the rules unless they voluntarily apply.

ICYMI- The European Commission said it is sticking with its plans to limit CO2 emissions from cars despite major pushback from the bloc’s industry groups and some member countries, as well as its biggest political group, the European People’s Party (EPP).

IN OTHER EU NEWS- The European Parliament formally approves deforestation law’s one-year delay: The bloc’s Parliament voted yesterday to delay the implementation of its landmark deforestation law to December 2025, Reuters reported. The postponement is expected to become official once the European Council also votes on it sometime this week. Both the EU’s Council and Parliament reached an understanding on the postponment earlier this month.

REMEMBER- The regulation — which would ban imports linked to deforestation and bar EU farmers from exporting deforestation-linked goods — was widely criticized by global industries, trading partners, and 20 member states. The critics cited different reasons for their concerns, including the law’s potentially harmful effect on small-scale farmers inside and outside the EU, supply chain disruption, increased prices, and the need for more time to adapt.

ALSO- The EU’s latest carbon auction closes at lowest prices since 2020: The EU’s final carbon allowances auction this year closed at EUR 63.64 per metric ton, its lowest price since 2020, Bloomberg reports. The low price bucks the trend for end-of-year offerings that usually go up as emitters look to stock up on carbon credits before the holiday market hiatus. Slumps in natural gas prices have partially contributed to the drop, Bloomberg reported.

#5- Debt-for-nature swaps market gets a new player: Former UBS Group and Credit Suisse banker Ramzi Issa has launched Enosis Capital, a company dedicated to debt-for-nature swap deals, Bloomberg reported. Issa — credited for playing a major role in reshaping the financial instrument’s structure to make them more suitable to the private financial market — told Bloomberg that his startup will focus on debt conversions, pursuing agreements to arrange and advise on the financial instrument globally.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host the World Energy Summit from Tuesday, 14 January to Thursday, 16 January in Abu Dhabi. The summit will host over 350 speakers including energy industry leaders and policymakers with discussions ranging from eco-waste to sustainable cities. An exhibition will also be held for showcasing green products.

Saudi Arabia will host the Future Minerals Forum from Tuesday, 14 January to Thursday, 16 January in Riyadh. The forum will gather stakeholders from over 170 countries to discuss mineral technology and exploration. Speakers will include senior government officials and CEOs from renowned mining companies Vale, Rio Tinto, and Manara.

Bahrain will host the Sustainability Forum Middle East from Tuesday, 28 January to Wednesday, 29 January in Manama. Climate experts and decision-makers will convene to discuss a number of issues ranging from decarbonization to supporting SMEs on their path to net zero. Speakers will include GCC government officials and industry leaders from the banking and industrial sectors.

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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