Carboun in Dialogue

The Carboun Institute engages in talks, panels, and podcasts to examine the forces reshaping energy and climate policy in the Middle East and North Africa.

Our interventions bring research-driven insights to debates on decarbonization, adaptation, and climate diplomacy, grounding global climate goals in the realities of the MENA region. These discussions provide context based on our work and highlight emerging pathways for cooperation, investment, and policy innovation.

Explore our latest talks and podcasts to hear insights from the Carboun Institute’s experts and collaborators. We welcome collaboration and encourage institutions and partners to reach out for joint events.

Talks and Lectures

Navigating the currents of Green Hydrogen: Towards a Human Development-Centred Framework

  • Panel co-hosted by UNDP and the TIDE Centre, University of Oxford, examining the risks and opportunities of green hydrogen industrialization, the conditions under which emerging investments can build domestic capability rather than reproduce extractive models, and the design of human-centred frameworks for sustainable development pathways.

  • Panel

  • United Nations Development Program, TIDE Centre, University of Oxford

  • 14 May 2026

Energy Transition and Economic Resilience under Geopolitical Uncertainty

  • Closed-door technical roundtable co-hosted by the Stimson Center and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), examining how the current geopolitical escalation in the Middle East may reshape North Africa's energy transition outlook, the financing constraints facing energy-importing economies, and the strategic implications for long-term decarbonization across the region.

  • Panel

  • United Nations Development Program, Stimson Center

  • 07 May 2026

Climate, Security, Migration and Diplomacy in the MENA Region

  • University of Roehampton lecture by Carboun Institute’s Executive Director Karim Elgendy on climate security as a threat multiplier, the politics of climate migration, and the geopolitical contest over clean energy supply chains.

  • Lecture

  • University of Roehampton London

  • 26 March 2026

Heat, Water and Power: Navigating the MENA Climate Challenge

  • Heat, water, and power are deeply intertwined across the MENA region. In this IEA Academy session held at the IEA headquarters in Paris, Carboun Institute's Executive Director Karim Elgendy explored the region's chronic water stress, the compounding pressures of climate change and rapid population growth, and the cascading impacts on energy demand — from soaring cooling needs to the energy intensity of desalination.

  • Podcast

  • International Energy Agency (IEA)

  • 12 November 2025

Great sea Connections: Financing the Eastern Mediterranean's energy transition

  • In this Discussion held during UN General Assembly week, Carboun Institute's Executive Director Karim Elgendy delivered a report presentation on financing the Eastern Mediterranean's energy transition. The session explored innovative financial mechanisms to advance technological development, economic growth, and regional cooperation through shared renewable energy infrastructure and capital flows across the Eastern Mediterranean region.

  • Lecture

  • Atlantic Council Turkey Program

  • 22 September 2025

Energy and Climate Policy: The State of Play in the MENA Region

  • At Columbia University’s Climate School, Carboun Institute’s Executive Director Karim Elgendy delivered a lecture on the state of energy and climate policy in the Middle East and North Africa. His talk examined the region’s progress on renewable energy, emerging climate risks, and the geopolitical factors, including US-China dynamics, influencing the MENA energy transition.

  • Lecture

  • Columbia University

  • 14 November 2025

Transitioning to a Net Zero Carbon Economy: State of Play in the MENA Region

  • At the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Carboun Institute’s Executive Director Karim Elgendy delivered a lecture on the state of play in the Middle East and North Africa’s transition to a net zero carbon economy. The session examined how the region is confronting rising emissions, ambitious renewable energy targets, and geopolitical complexities.

  • Lecture

  • University of Cambridge

  • 11 July 2025

Earthna Summit: Building our Legacy: Sustainability, Innovation and Traditional Knowledge

  • At the Earthna Summit, Carboun Institute's Executive Director Karim Elgendy explored the challenges and opportunities facing cities in arid regions as they navigate climate change and urban sustainability. The session examined the historical development of cities in dry climates, the growing pressures of resource consumption and climate vulnerability, and the pathways toward more resilient and sustainable urban futures.

  • Talk

  • Earthna, Member of Qatar Foundation

  • 22 April 2025

Podcasts and Webinars

A New Energy reality: Balancing Security and Climate Goals

  • This webinar, hosted by LSEG Data & Analytics and Al-Attiyah Foundation, examined how sustained market pressures and geopolitical disruption are forcing governments to reassess the balance between energy security and decarbonization. Carboun Institute Executive Director Karim Elgendy joined fellow practitioners Jom Madan, Julio Dal Poz, Paula VanLaningham, and Peter Zeniewski to discuss the policy and investment stakes shaping the next phase of the global energy transition.

  • Webinar

  • 10 June 2026

  • LSEG Data & Analytics, Al-Attiyah Foundation

China and the GCC: Building a “Green OPEC”?

  • This episode, co-hosted with BRI Dialogues, explores how China–MENA renewable energy cooperation is redrawing the contours of climate governance and geopolitical influence. With insights from Carboun Institute Research Fellow Jemima Oakey, the discussion probes the strategic and environmental stakes shaping the region’s energy future.

  • Podcast

  • 28 January 2026

  • Bri Dialogues

Energy Transitions in MENA: Unlocking the Region’s Clean Energy Potential

  • This webinar, co-hosted by the Arab Center in Washington DC, explored MENA’s energy transition through technology deployment, climate finance, and geopolitics. It assesses the pathways to closing the climate finance gap, and how global power dynamics are shaping the region’s energy future.

  • Webinar

  • Arab Center in Washington DC

  • 30 October 2025

The Middle East’s Water and Climate Crisis – with MEI

  • Carboun Institute’s Executive Director Karim Elgendy joins the Middle East Institute to examine how climate change, politics, and mismanagement are reshaping the region’s water and energy systems, and what pathways exist for cooperation.

  • Podcast

  • Middle East Institute (MEI)

  • 14 August 2025