What if climate solution was also our most overlooked?

Observer

5 days ago

I often find that the most powerful ideas are the ones we overlook. We get caught up in chasing innovation, in launching megaprojects, in building the future as if it is something far away. But sometimes, the real transformation is already here. Quiet. Practical. Waiting for us to notice. That is how I have come to think about energy efficiency.
When I first started the Oman Climate Dialogues a couple of years ago, I wanted to create a space for conversations that were missing. Not panels filled with prepared statements. Not technical deep dives that left no room for reflection. But dialogue that connects policy with practice and intention with action. At the time, I felt that too many of our climate conversations were happening behind closed doors, framed around technology and finance, but missing the human pulse. We needed to open the space.
This latest conversation focused on energy efficiency. And it revealed a strange contradiction. Across Oman, there is clear evidence of momentum. SOHAR Port and Freezone is implementing both pilot initiatives and large-scale optimisation projects. OQ is embedding efficiency into its operations as part of how it measures performance. The Oman Net Zero Centre is preparing to announce the results of its first public tender for government building retrofits. The Central Bank of Oman, perhaps unexpectedly, now holds the title of the most energy-efficient public building in the country. These are not small wins. They are proof that change is under way.
And yet, how often do we hear about these successes? These efforts are happening, but they are not being shared. We are doing the work, but we are not telling the story. That silence has consequences. When projects remain tucked inside internal reports or procurement files, we lose momentum. When institutions act alone, we duplicate effort. When something that saves money, reduces emissions and builds local capability is barely mentioned in public discourse, we are missing the point.
Oman has already put the right tools in place. Energy efficiency codes are now mandatory for all new buildings. Every air conditioner sold in the market must meet national performance standards. These policies matter. But what about the buildings constructed before these codes existed? What about the legacy infrastructure still consuming excessive power across ministries, malls and homes?
The current strategy rightly focuses on large-scale public and commercial buildings first. Residential retrofits will follow. But we should be honest. These early efforts cannot succeed in isolation. They need to be visible. They need to be understood. They need to inspire others. Because energy efficiency is not just a climate tool. It is an economic strategy. It creates jobs in engineering, retrofitting and auditing. It strengthens energy security. It contributes directly to maximising local value. And it opens space for young Omanis and SMEs to lead in a field that is only growing.
So why, with all of this in place, does energy efficiency still feel like an afterthought?
Maybe because we still think of it as a side project. Something technical. Something someone else is doing. But it is not. It is national infrastructure. It is industrial strategy. And above all, it is common sense.
The good news is that we do not need to invent anything new. We need to look again at what is already working and ask why we are not learning from it. We need to talk to each other more openly. Not to impress. Not to compete. But to align. Sometimes, the only thing standing between the overlooked and the obvious is the courage to start the right conversation.
Rumaitha al Busaidi
The writer is environmental strategist and advocate for sustainable development