Clean energy, often termed as green or renewable energy, signifies power derived from resources that are naturally replenishing, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat. Over the past few decades, the global community has recognized the increasing importance of transitioning to clean energy not just from an environmental perspective, but also from economic, social, and political standpoints. This recognition is encapsulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations in 2015, which encompass a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. SDG 7 specifically aims to “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all,” making clean energy a central theme.
The reliance on fossil fuels has been associated with a myriad of challenges, ranging from environmental degradation, like air and water pollution, to geopolitical conflicts over oil reserves. The burning of fossil fuels has been a major driver of climate change, leading to global warming and its associated consequences, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and threats to biodiversity. By promoting the use of clean energy, SDG 7 addresses the need to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation and promote a low-carbon economy.
The connection between clean energy and other SDGs is profound. For instance, SDG 3, which promotes good health and well-being, is indirectly supported by clean energy. Reduced reliance on fossil fuels diminishes air pollution, thereby decreasing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Similarly, SDG 6, which emphasizes clean water and sanitation, is bolstered by clean energy. Conventional energy production methods often lead to water pollution, whereas clean energy sources, such as wind and solar, require no water to generate electricity and have minimal environmental impact.
Furthermore, the expansion of renewable energy infrastructure, especially in developing countries, can help achieve SDG 8, which promotes decent work and economic growth. Renewable energy projects can create local jobs, spur innovation, and foster community development. Additionally, providing energy access to remote regions can invigorate local economies and empower communities, thereby contributing to SDG 1, which seeks to end poverty in all its forms.
Moreover, transitioning to clean energy fosters greater resilience and adaptability, which aligns with SDG 13's call to action for urgent measures against climate change and its impacts. Renewable sources, by their very nature, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our carbon footprint. Furthermore, distributed renewable systems, like micro-grids powered by solar or wind, can be more resilient to extreme weather events compared to traditional centralized energy infrastructure.
Finally, the emphasis on clean energy champions gender equality (SDG 5). In many parts of the world, women and girls bear the primary responsibility for collecting fuel and water, often spending hours each day on these tasks, which deprives them of educational and economic opportunities. By reducing the need for such tasks, clean energy can free up time for women and girls, enabling them to pursue education, work, or other opportunities that foster gender equity.
Clean energy, as highlighted by SDG 7, is not just about electricity. It's about catalyzing a series of positive impacts that resonate with the broader aspirations of the SDGs. As the global community works diligently towards 2030, clean energy will undeniably play a pivotal role in sculpting a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous world.
This report reviews the main developments shaping the solar sector across the Middle East and North Africa, combining market updates, technology analysis, and country-level progress. It examines renewable investment trends, PV module innovation, distributed solar, digital energy management, green hydrogen, storage, and the outlook for leading solar markets across the region.
Green and Sustainable Synthesis of Iron Oxide-Based Nanomaterials for Energy and Environmental Applications, 2026, Pages 79-109
The scientific community worldwide has been interested in nanoscience over the past few decades due to its potential applications in the energy, pharmaceutical, agricultural, electronics, medical diagnostics, and chemical industries, as well as in space exploration. These distinctive features of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) can be explored for various additional applications, including medication delivery, biosensing, reusable catalysts, antibacterial and anticancer properties, MRI agents, and medical imaging. Therefore, it is essential to fabricate IONPs with the appropriate monodispersity, structure, size, and topology for the applications. The biofabrication of IONPs with the appropriate nature and structure utilizing microbial machinery is safer, faster, and more ecologically friendly than previous approaches. Many microorganisms have previously been investigated for their ability to fabricate IONPs. As a result, manufacturing IONPs using microorganisms is a novel approach that shows great promise. This chapter offers detailed information on several methods for producing IONPs utilizing microbial cells, as well as their multifunctional applications.
This report analyzes the key trends driving energy transition across the GCC, focusing on renewable energy, digital grids, energy storage, distributed systems, and efficiency. It outlines market opportunities, enabling technologies, and the structural role of energy efficiency and district cooling in achieving regional climate and energy goals.
This executive summary brings together perspectives from regional business leaders on the forces shaping future cities in the Middle East. It highlights the role of sustainability, smart buildings, renewable energy, digital public services, real estate expansion, and investor-friendly policies in redefining urban development across Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The rapid expansion of data centres is fuelling an urgent need for sustainable energy solutions. As demand for cloud computing and AI accelerates, investors, developers, operators, hyperscalers, and end users must find ways to minimise carbon footprints while ensuring reliable, efficient power. But what are the most viable pathways forward?
Hear from guests: Michel Abi Saab, General Manager, Emerge Sujit Nair, Director of Product, Moro Hub Rob Jones, Partner, B2BConnect (Moderator)
Bringing together industry leaders, innovators and global thinkers, Future Energy Insights by the World Future Energy Summit takes an in-depth look at renewable energy and sustainability. Featuring lively debate and passionate discussion, the series covers six core topics: clean energy, water scarcity, smart cities, circular economies, waste management and climate change. It shines a spotlight on the critical issues and major gamechangers shaping the sector today.
Combustion of fossil fuels is one of the main sources of emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2, CO, and NOx. In order to decrease the emissions of these harmful gases and alleviate their unfavorable consequences, it is crucial to shift toward clean and renewable energy technologies. Aside from the environmental importance, there are other reasons, such as fluctuations in the price of fossil fuels, restrictions in their resources, and the importance of energy diversification for shifting toward alternative and clean energy systems. In this chapter, some of the most conventional and developed renewable energy systems are introduced. Afterwards, the importance of shifting toward renewable energy sources and the development of clean energy technologies is discussed. Following that, the obstacles and challenges related to the development of renewable energy systems are provided. According to the provided data and designed plans by international organizations, it can be concluded that renewable energy systems would have a significant contribution in the future; however, there are some challenges, such as requirement for investment, lack of proper infrastructure, and absence of clear and effective policies in some countries and regions that can act as obstacles to the development of these clean systems.
