The 30 billion cu m of gas burned per year by the GCC countries, and the dust and particle emissions from factories in the region are major causes of air pollution, said the organisers of an upcoming environmental event in Sharjah.

Green Middle East 2011, which will be held from October 17 to 19 at Sharjah Expo Centre, will look at the impact of energy and construction on the region’s air quality.

“It is a fact that the UAE has one of the highest per capita carbon dioxide emission rates in the world. Alarmingly, the underlying causes, rapid urbanisation, along with air pollutants from construction and energy projects  point to a continuing deterioration of air quality,” said Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, director-general of Expo Centre Sharjah.

“Green Middle East brings together industry leaders from across the region along with internationally renowned sustainability experts, who will showcase the latest in cutting edge technology to tackle the source and effects of greenhouse gas emissions.”

GCC nations control more than 60 per cent of global hydrocarbons, including 40 per cent of the world’s crude oil and 23 per cent of gas. Gas-flaring, which burns off unwanted by-products from various processes across the energy sector is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

The UAE alone has more than 10 cement and clinker factories, with a total production capacity of 30 million tonnes, creating huge amounts of dust pollutants.

Green Middle East, the region’s most comprehensive platform for businesses involved in eco-friendly technologies, either directly or indirectly, features a dedicated air-pollution programme.

Comprising an exhibition, conference, seminars and workshops, Green Middle East showcases many of the cutting-edge strategies, solutions and technologies that can be implemented in addressing air pollution.

Given the high volumes of greenhouse gas emitted across the region, a number of companies from the UAE and other parts of the Gulf are also at the forefront of technologies to help address the problem.

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) is planning one of the world’s largest carbon capture projects, a $3 billion initiative which would pump around 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into mature oil fields, increasing oil recovery, a statement said.

The UAE is also part of the international effort to eliminate gas-flaring, looking at methods for reusing by-products, such as conversion into LNG or for use in power generation.

Green Middle East, which will be held in conjunction with Bee'ah, one of the region’s leading integrated environmental and waste management organisations, also addresses the regulations, air quality standards and other legal and commercial issues of the industry. – TradeArabia News Service