Gulf oil giants turn to start-ups in carbon-capture bid

Carbon capture was a hot topic at a recent climate tech conference in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. Faced with mounting pressure over planet-heating pollution, Gulf Arab energy giants are turning to humble tech start-ups as they search for ways to remove emissions while keeping oil flowing. 

Major players from Saudi Aramco to the United Arab Emirates' ADNOC say that is about to change, as the UAE hosts climate negotiations this year with a message of cutting emissions rather than fossil fuels.

Talal Hasan, Talal Hasan, CEO, Omani carbon removal company said "Climate change is unfortunately an urgent challenge. And for us to be able to tackle that challenge, we need to move quickly. And the oil and gas partnerships help us move quickly."

Anas al-Tarabsheh, professor in Electrical , Abu Dhabi University said "It's important to note that the carbon capture technology is not a standalone solution and should be accompanied with efforts to produce renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable practises to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable approach to reducing the climate change."

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says the existing fossil fuel infrastructure -- without the use of carbon capture -- will push the world beyond the Paris deal's safer global warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.