UAE outlines committed initiatives to present at COP27

Thanks to the vision and directives of its wise leadership, the UAE achieved three milestones that testify to its voluntary commitment to protecting the planet. With the nation hosting the 28th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Climate Change next year, this endeavour will reach new heights (COP28). Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, signed in November 2016, will be assessed for the first time on a worldwide scale at this event. After signing the Paris Agreement in 2016, the UAE was the first country in the region to submit an NDC to the UNFCCC Secretariat.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) upped its emission reduction target and committed to planting mangroves to offset emissions in its second NDC for 2020. The country voluntarily updated its second NDC in September 2022 to increase emission reduction targets in the energy and industry sectors, improve its waste management approach by reducing and treating waste and transforming it into a clean source of energy, and increase the use of nature-based carbon sequestration solutions. The third NDC is nearing completion at MOCCAE, and it will be submitted early in the new year. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates (MOCCAE) will be part of the UAE delegation to COP27, which will take place from November 6-18 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The MOCCAE's leading model of climate action includes plans, strategies, projects, initiatives, programmes, and guidelines to advance R&D, leverage innovative solutions and modern technologies to accelerate the clean energy transition, shift to a green economy, and drive sustainable development.

In its first NDC, the UAE committed to boosting the use of contemporary technologies that improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions, as well as decarbonizing critical industries, and raising the amount of clean energy in the domestic energy mix to 24 percent by 2021. By implementing green construction standards, growing the district cooling network, and switching to more efficient lighting, the United Arab Emirates plans to reduce building electricity and water use. It also committed to adopting environmentally friendly waste management practises, increasing efforts to maintain blue carbon ecosystems that play an important role in CO2 sequestration, and developing an environmentally friendly public transportation system. With the help of integrated climate change mitigation and adaptation plans, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged to further reduce emissions, increase its use of renewable energy sources, increase the number of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) projects, and implement more environmentally friendly waste management and agricultural practises. The country has committed to cutting its GHG emissions by 23.5% by 2030 compared to "business as usual," which is the equivalent of cutting emissions by around 70 million tonnes in absolute terms. This objective demonstrated the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) continued dedication to the Paris Agreement as the most effective means of doing both. By increasing the use of renewable energy solutions, increasing the deployment of cutting-edge green technology, and planting thousands of trees, many national initiatives and projects helped support the NDC. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged to increase its clean energy capacity to 14 GW by 2030, up from 100 MW in 2015 and 2.4 GW in 2020, in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint. There has been a total investment of $40 (Dh146.92 billion) on sustainable energy projects in the United Arab Emirates so far. The United Arab Emirates has pledged to increase its capacity to adapt to climate change by planting 30 million mangrove seedlings by 2030 as part of efforts to expand its blue carbon ecosystems. Sustainable production and consumption patterns will be promoted, and the country will implement climate-smart farming practises.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) revised its second nationally determined contribution (NDC) to enhance its emission reduction target to 31% by 2030 compared to a "business as usual" scenario that predicted 301 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. In terms of CO2 equivalent, the new goal is 93.2 million fewer tonnes. The revision is in response to the Glasgow Climate Pact, a major conclusion of COP26, which urged governments to increase their climate ambition by the end of 2022 in order to strengthen their ability to combat climate change. According to projections, the power sector will contribute the most to the goal at 66.4%, followed by industry at 16.6%, transportation at 9.7%, CCUS at 5.3%, and garbage at 2.1%. Conservation of blue carbon habitats, with an increased objective of planting 100 million mangrove seedlings by 2030, is one example of the previously declared climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives that back up the NDC.

To get more businesses involved in cutting emissions for the country, the ministry also created the Climate-Responsible Companies Pledge. To hasten the United States' path to carbon neutrality, the signatories pledge to conduct public GHG emission measurements and reports, develop aggressive strategies to cut their carbon footprints, and make these plans available to the appropriate government agencies. The United Arab Emirates encourages other countries to work with them to develop and finance sustainable energy projects. About $16.8 billion (Dh61.71 billion) has been invested in renewables projects in 70 countries, and over $400 million (Dh1,469.20 million) has been granted in help and soft loans for clean energy projects worldwide.