This chapter explores how domestic political factors related to oil and gas resource nationalism and its path-dependency effect influence energy transition capabilities. Methodologically, the chapter adopts a qualitative case study approach in paired oil-rich countries, Kuwait, (UAE), Mexico, and Brazil.

It explores how the origins of each country’s resource nationalism have influenced their abilities to adapt to a post-hydrocarbon economy. Countries that have adopted social-based policies such as Kuwait and Mexico, transition to renewable energy more slowly in comparison with countries that have adopted market-based policies like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Brazil. Understanding these factors expands the literature on energy-rich countries beyond the concepts of the resource curse and rentier states, allowing academics to propose theories that are better suited to the heterogeneous nature of energy-rich countries.

This chapter explores the environmental benefits and social challenges for the city of Dubai’s public transport network electrification plan. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai is currently experimenting with the possibility of powering public buses with electric energy. The shift from fossil fuels to electric power has been experienced in many European cities with evidence of benefits for both the environment and citizens. The enhancement of public transport and the use of ‘CO2-free’ energy has made people less dependent on cars, reducing the amount of air pollution and easing traffic congestion on the roads. Air quality also improved significantly with direct and indirect results on people’s health and life quality. In the pledge for a reduction of CO2 emissions, the coverage of the entire territory of Dubai with an interconnected transport system, fuelled by electric power, is an achievement to pursue. The authors show evidence of this statement using data collected from a number of European experiences. To simulate the feasibility of a similar model in Dubai, the authors consider different contextual situations, such as climatic variation, urban forms, and social and cultural characteristics of users, enhancing the specificities of present technological research in alternative energy sources. Electrified and hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are analysed and their potential and limitations explained based on data and tests conducted in Europe.