Feeling parched, it's only March ??

Welcome to this month's edition of The Climate Loop, where we serve up the latest climate news, trends, jobs, and events from across the Middle East.

This month, we're talking about #water ??, #women ??? and #wildlife ??.

Global News

• Antarctic sea levels reach record low: Scientists are concerned about the shrinking size of an area of sea ice around Antarctica. Studies have linked lower sea ice cover with wave-induced stresses that break up other weaker areas of ice.
• France has driest winter in 60 years: France has issued a state of alert after recording 32 days without rainfall. The dry weather has impacted France's snow cover and ruined ski season for many visitors.
• Venice canals run dry: Rivers and lakes in Italy have been suffering from a severe lack of water this winter?causing the usually overflowing canals of Venice to run dry. Italy’s longest river, the Po, which runs from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea, also has 61 per cent?less water?than is normal at this time of year.
• Research reveals climate crisis is driving a rise in human-wildlife conflicts: A new paper published by Nature Climate Change found that the climate crisis is causing a rise in conflicts that lead to injury or death for humans and wildlife.

Local News

• Thousands of nurdles wash-up on Dubai's beaches: A number of bags of pellets fell from a container into the ocean and washed up on Dubai's shorelines this month. Beach clean-ups were organised by communities such as Azraq, Pirates Surf Rescue Dubai and Dubai Municipality, however, the extent of the problem means that many nurdles remain.
• Achieving 1.5C is non-negotiable: At a recent speech in India, Dr Sultan Al Jaber called for a 'paradigm shift' in the world's approach to climate change with a 'critical' need for countries in the Global South to achieve sustainable development.
• Saudi Arabia unveils $25m plans to rewild critically endangered Arabian Leopard: The news was launched on the second annual Arabian Leopard Day (February 10) a campaign spearheaded by the Saudi Arabian Royal Commission for AlUla.

Each week, we explore one big question related to #esg . If you missed any of this month's articles, you can find them here:

• ?? What are the main challenges when it comes to sustainable food production and agriculture in MENA?
• ?? How can we balance economic growth with environmental protection?
• ?? What skills and qualifications does a Chief Sustainability Officer require?
• ?? What regulations or policies can governments implement to increase the region’s ESG adoption?
• ?? Does carbon offsetting really work?

This month, Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) , a global clean energy powerhouse made its first venture into the?geothermal energy sector through a strategic investment in Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE), one of the world’s largest geothermal players.

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer, Masdar, said, “We are especially excited to add geothermal energy to our clean energy portfolio, a clean energy source that can deliver dispatchable power 24 hours a day."

Geothermal energy harnesses heat generated within the Earth’s core to provide a constant energy source. The source of energy is more reliable than solar or wind, which are intermittent in nature. The move reflects the UAE's ambitions to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.

Would you like your corporate’s sustainable efforts to be spotlighted? Email us with details of your impact at?[email protected]

This month I attempted to read Adrienne Buller's book, 'The Value of a Whale'. I say attempted because admittedly, I didn't get very far. I found the book quite repetitive and the concepts in it well known. Buller argues that mainstream economic metrics do not adequately reflect the true value of the environment and that by searching for 'market-oriented' solutions to the climate crisis (ie green capitalism tools such as carbon pricing, ESG or habitat banking), we are avoiding the urgent task of actually slowing, reversing, and adapting to climate and ecological crisis.

Although I didn't personally enjoy it, I would recommend the book to those who are new to the subject of economics and the environment. The book may also be of interest to those working in sustainable finance and are at the heart of deploying some of the green capitalism tools Buller discusses. ??

This month we are reading Speed & Scale: A Global Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now by John Doerr.

Global Events

• The Economist World Ocean Summit & Expo, Lisbon, Feb 27-1 Mar
• UN World Wildlife Day, 3 Mar
• International Women's Day, 8 Mar
• International Day of Forests, 21 Mar

Local Events

• Women's Empowerment Convention Gala Dinner at Armani Hotel, Dubai, 7 Mar, 7-11pm
• Dubai International Boat Show (has a sustainability theme this year with inspiring talks from marine conservationists), Dubai Harbor, 1-5 Mar
• Art Dubai 2023 (featuring art from the Global South), Madinat Jumeirah Conference & Events Centre, 1-5 Mar. 50% of all online ticket sales will be donated to charities supporting victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquake.
• Forces of Nature: Women at the forefront of saving our planet, Women's Pavilion Expo, 8 Mar

• Senior Manager - Sustainability, Expo City Dubai
• Mid and Senior Environmental Consultant, Jacobs
• Project & Client Manager (Youth Social Impact Programmes), Bon Education
• Manager - Environment and Sustainability Governance Services, KPMG
• Senior Associate Director or Director, Climate and Sustainability, APCO Impact
• Manager-Corporate Identity & Social Responsibility, RTA

? Join our Climate Club! If you’re an aspiring or practicing ESG professional, join us for coffee, collaboration and climate chats. Follow our instagram page for more news on meetups.

Can't join us in person? Connect via our?LinkedIn and?Whatsapp?Group.

?? The Climate Loop is a newsletter developed by?Matcha, a Dubai-based creative impact studio specialising in green content, consulting and?courses. Follow us for updates on things going on in the region.