Can Climate Change and Hydrocarbons Policies Live Together in the Middle East and North Africa?

At this year’s G7 summit, world leaders signaled the end of the fossil fuel era that has been driving world economies since the Industrial Revolution, and hinted at harder targets for the December Paris meeting on climate change. These new targets and shifts in energy policies will have important implications for Middle East and North Africa oil and gas producers.

The Carnegie Middle East Center, in association with the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, brought together a panel of international and regional energy experts to discuss whether the Middle East and North Africa can be a major oil- and gas-producing (and consuming) region, while also committing to reducing carbon emissions. 

Lea Kai Abou Jaoude

Lea Kai Abou Jaoude, project officer, United Nation Development Program’s Climate Change Unit, Lebanon

Sami Atallah

Sami Atallah, executive director, Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Lebanon

Wassim C. Bou-Ghanem

Wassim C. Bou-Ghanem, adviser, Saudi Ministry of Economy and vice president, Energy and Environment, Lebanon

Lord Howell of Guildford

Lord Howell of Guildford, former secretary of state for energy and current president of the U.K. Energy Industries Council and chair of the Windsor Energy Group, United Kingdom

Ricardo Khoury

Ricardo Khoury, managing partner and head of the Environmental Services Division, Environmental Services Division at Earth Link & Advanced Resources Development, United Arab Emirates

Roula Majdalani

Roula Majdalani, director, Sustainable Development and Productivity Division, UN-ESCWA, Lebanon

Toufic Mezher

Toufic Mezher, professor of engineering systems and management, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, United Arab Emirates

Carole Nakhle

Carole Nakhle, nonresident scholar, Carnegie Middle East Center, Lebanon

Radia Sedaoui

Radia Sedaoui, energy expert and senior adviser of strategy and economy, Sonatrach, Algeria