Environmental Economics
Mohamed Alamin
Exploring the potential for Carbon trading ...

Carbon Emissions and their relation to climate change are significant and have large societal and economic impacts globally. This has led to ambitious plans worldwide to promote decarbonisation and move away from fossil fuels as a primary energy source, including the GCC countries, with the example of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia pledging to go “carbon neutral” by 2060. This article intends to explore how a carbon trading scheme can help the GCC achieve its “carbon neutrality” status. We explore the following: First, what is a carbon-trading scheme, and what evidence exists of its effectiveness around the world, secondly, we explore the current state of GCC emissions and what these emissions could mean towards the region. Last, we look at the implications of continuous unchecked GCC emissions for the region, and what policy recommendations we can implement to counteract them.

Exploring the potential for Carbon trading schemes in the GCC

Environmental Economics

Exploring the potential for Carbon trading schemes in the GCC

Exploring the potential for Carbon trading schemes in the GCC

Carbon Emissions and their relation to climate change are significant and have large societal and economic impacts globally. This has led to ambitious plans worldwide to promote decarbonisation and move away from fossil fuels as a primary energy source, including the GCC countries, with the example of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia pledging to go “carbon neutral” by 2060. This article intends to explore how a carbon trading scheme can help the GCC achieve its “carbon neutrality” status. We explore the following: First, what is a carbon-trading scheme, and what evidence exists of its effectiveness around the world, secondly, we explore the current state of GCC emissions and what these emissions could mean towards the region. Last, we look at the implications of continuous unchecked GCC emissions for the region, and what policy recommendations we can implement to counteract them.

Can unexpected temperatures affect economic growth in Bahrain?

Can unexpected temperatures affect economic growth in Bahrain?

Climate change is a worldwide phenomenon that affects every nation. The risks that are part of climate change are increased adverse weather conditions, affecting coastlines, agriculture, and potentially overall economic activity. Although the GCC is one of the most affected regions for climate change, little is quantified about the costs and damages associated with climate change in our region. This article aims to create a simple analysis comparing economic growth vs. unexpected temperature differences for a given quarter.

Should cars be taxed?

Should cars be taxed?

In Bahrain and the GCC, it’s not a secret that motor vehicles have become the most predominant form of transportation domestically. Motor vehicles are reliable and a convenient form of transportation for Bahrainis and Expatriates. With multiple options, today ranging from sedans to SUVs, compared to the expatriate and Bahraini a century or so ago, the current population of Bahrain more or less are utilizing what would be considered luxury goods then. However, we should ask, at what cost does the rise of these goods have towards the economy? This is what we will explore in our article.

Does it make sense for consumers to purchase an electric car in the GCC?

Does it make sense for consumers to purchase an electric car in the GCC?

Since the initial rise of electric vehicles and other transportation methods, there have been concerns that usage of electric transportation may have negative environmental impacts depending on the source of electricity used to charge electric vehicles. As a result, over the years, there have been continuous efforts to estimate the environmental impacts of electric cars and transportation methods on the environment based on electricity sources used.

In this extended article, we will attempt to use research conducted elsewhere to estimate, whether it makes sense for consumers to purchase an electric vehicle in the GCC for environmental reasons. The reason behind this is that in recent years, there has been a growing trend of owning Teslas in the GCC, if not, at least in the UAE with the opening of the first Tesla dealership with acceptance of online orders. Therefore, we should ask the question, with the GCC’s electricity mix, would it make sense to import, and use electric cars given the potential environmental impacts it may have for the given grid being used in the GCC?