Ohood Youssef Al -Mahmoud
Energy culture is an integrated framework that combines awareness, knowledge and practices responsible for energy production and consumption, with the aim of achieving efficiency and sustainability. It includes understanding of energy sources (renewable and non -renewable), and adopting rationalization behaviors such as reducing waste and choosing high efficiency technologies, in addition to supporting the transformation towards clean energy by using innovative solutions such as solar energy and smart networks, as well as enhances social responsibility through the participation of individuals and institutions in awareness initiatives, and encouraging policies that support green energy. This culture represents an essential pillar of environmental protection by reducing emissions, enhancing the economy by reducing costs, and building a conscious society capable of facing future energy challenges through education, incentives and technological innovation.
The concept of carbon neutrality is closely related to culture and energy. On the one hand, culture plays a vital role in shaping behaviors and consumption patterns that affect carbon emissions, and on the other hand, achieving carbon neutrality depends on the transformation into clean and renewable energy sources.
However, achieving carbon neutrality remains a distant goal due to structural and practical challenges that hinder its achievement. Although the world is heading towards clean energy, dependence on fossil fuels is still dominated by 80% of the total global energy, and renewable energy remains unable to meet the continuous demand due to its natural fluctuations, and the heavy industrial and transportation sectors face great difficulties in removing carbon, while modern technologies such as energy and green hydrogen batteries lack adequate maturity. Political contradictions and economic competition between countries hinder real progress, while population growth and consumption continues to increase in energy demand in a way that exceeds the ability of green transformation.
But this does not mean surrender, but rather the necessity of adopting more realistic practical solutions. It can focus on improving energy efficiency, expanding the scope of carbon detention technologies, and compensation for emissions through afforestation, while continuing to invest in technological innovations. Instead of seeking to achieve zero emissions, which seems impossible in the foreseeable term, reducing global temperature at acceptable levels becomes more realistic. What is required is to continue the green march while recognizing the existence of huge obstacles, and working to reduce the effects of climate change within the available capabilities.
The Kingdom of Bahrain seeks to enhance energy culture between its citizens and institutions, in light of the global challenges related to energy security and the shift towards sustainability, and with the Kingdom’s historical dependence on oil and gas as main sources of energy, it is making growing efforts to diversify energy sources and rationalize consumption, in line with Bahrain’s economic vision 2030 and its international obligations in reducing carbon emissions.
The Kingdom is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, with a broker goal to reduce emissions by 30% by 2035. This comprehensive understanding of carbon neutrality is not limited to just reducing emissions, but rather adopts a multi -faceted approach that combines adopting advanced technology, changing consumer behaviors, enhancing the ability to adapt to climate changes, and this vision is based on the strategy National Energy, which was announced in November 2023, focuses on three basic pillars: improve energy demand through energy efficiency initiatives and apply green buildings requirements, diversify the power mix with increasing renewable energy share such as solar energy and exploration of green hydrogen, and spreading innovative carbon lowering technologies such as carbon detention and storage.
In addition to the foregoing, Bahrain pays great attention to increasing natural carbon banks through afforestation plans and expanding Crimea. The Kingdom believes that achieving carbon neutrality requires comprehensive cooperation between the government and the industrial and private sector, and to encourage innovation and investment in clean technologies. This commitment is reflected in the launch of important initiatives such as the national action plan, Bahrain’s vision and the purity platform for compensating carbon emissions, all of which aim to build a sustainable future that balances economic growth and preserving the environment for future generations.
All previous plans and policies are based on full support from His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, where His Highness chaired on the fourth of December 2023 the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers in the Palace of Al -Qudaibiya, and the meeting began by emphasizing the strategic importance of the Semitic word delivered by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the king of the country, may God protect and sponsor him at the twenty -eighth conference of the Nations Convention United on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai. This speech included the announcement of the national action plan “BluePrint Bahrain”, which is a clear road map for achieving carbon neutrality, and in the same context the Council noted the National Energy Strategy launched by the Kingdom of Bahrain, in addition to the launch of a climate technology fund worth 750 million dollars, and the establishment of the “Safa” platform to compensate for carbon emissions, within the framework of active contributions to the Kingdom within the activities of the conference within the activities of the conference The United Nations Climate Change 2023.
* Researcher in political science
