The UAE has made a third upward revision in its target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the last seven years. The country will now aim to better its 2030 goals by a whopping 31 percent, up from the 23.5 percent goal set in 2020.
This was decided by the UAE Cabinet, headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, which approved an updated version of the UAE’s second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.
The country’s increased climate target is projected to save 301 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), assuming a moderate annual economic growth rate based on historical trends. The reduction target translates into an absolute emission avoidance of 93.2 million metric tonnes of CO2e.
The updated second NDC responds to the call of the Glasgow Climate Pact, a main outcome of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), for countries to strengthen the ambition of their NDCs by end-2022.
Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment (MOCCAE), said: “The UAE has a remarkable track record of climate efforts locally and globally. Owing to the futuristic vision of its wise leadership, the country raised its climate ambition in its first and second NDCs, submitted in 2015 and 2020 respectively. Today, we mark a new milestone in our voluntary commitment to environmental protection and climate action as we respond to the call of the Glasgow Climate Pact in our enhanced GHG emission reduction target.
“As the host of COP28, the UAE will continue building on its climate ambition towards 2023 and beyond. With the submission of the updated second NDC, we are demonstrating our commitment to progressively raising our ambition further each year as new solutions and initiatives become available.”
The UAE will involve five priority sectors – electricity, transport, industry, waste management, and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS).
The electricity sector is projected to be the highest contributor to the target at 66.4 percent, followed by the industrial sector at 16.6 percent, transport at 9.7 percent, CCUS at 5.3 percent, and waste at 2.1 percent.
Almheiri said that meeting the new target would require more active participation from all stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society, and youth. The new NDC emphasises the importance of engaging women, youth, and climate-vulnerable communities as part of an all-inclusive approach to developing policies and programmes that promote climate-smart living.
The updated NDC outlines the UAE’s efforts to boost its adaptive capacity and climate resilience, including the conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems, such as the Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project and tree-planting drives. More than 100 million mangrove seedlings will be planted by 2030.
MOCCAE is reaching out to the private sector to scale up their contribution to reaching the enhanced GHG emission reduction target. The ministry launched the National Dialogue for Climate Ambition (NDCA) as a platform to define and raise sectoral climate ambition and advance all-inclusive participation in the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative. Monthly stakeholder meetings dedicated to a different sector will take place every month to explore their requirements, priorities, and needs.
It also rolled out the UAE Climate-Responsible Companies Pledge to increase the involvement of the private sector in the decarbonisation drive. Signatories will commit to stepping up their collective efforts to combat climate change by measuring and reporting their GHG emissions in a transparent manner, developing ambitious science-based plans to reduce their carbon footprint, and sharing these plans with the government.
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