On sidelines of COP28, Emirati ‘green city’ falls short of ambitions, but still delivers lessons
By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A bold, innovative project begun nearly a generation ago to erect a “green-city” in the United Arab Emirates has run into realities and largely missed its mark. It offers a cautionary tale about the risk of overblown environmental ambition even for an oil-rich, future-minded sheikdom. Masdar City has been a pet project of Sultan Al-Jaber, the head of the national oil company and the ongoing COP28 climate conference in nearby Dubai, who has sought to cast himself as a promoter of renewable energy transition. Critics call it a ‘failed city’ but promoters say its lessons still run deep.