The Middle East and North Africa are perfectly placed to play a leading role in the lucrative future solar power industry, says a report released last week (7 October). The report, by Greenpeace, the European Solar Thermal Power Industry Association and the International Energy Agency’s Solar PACES programme, says that by 2025, the industry will attract nearly US$20 billion a year in investment, employ 54 000 people, and have avoided the emission of 362 million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere – roughly what Japan emits each year.