“The whole of the government’s approach, combining the strategic thinking of key ministries together with the private sector, will leverage innovation and the breakthrough technologies of the Fourth Industrial Age. In so doing, we will call on the contribution of our academic institutions, large scale industrial players and innovative SMEs to create solutions that both drive down emissions, while creating jobs and sustainable economic growth,” added Al Jaber. “We will also partner with our friends and allies around the world to share knowledge, expertise and practical lessons so that our experience contributes to global progress and the UAE can benefit from best-in-class approaches from around the world.”
The UAE’s Special Envoy for Climate Change will continue to enhance the nation’s climate action efforts by building international partnerships and joint initiatives that support the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative. The country is leveraging its strong international relations to advance shared interests and drive sustainable development.
The deployment and use of clean energy solutions is one of the main pillars of the UAE’s model of addressing the challenge of climate change and reducing GHG emissions. The country began financing clean energy projects more than 15 years ago, and has invested over US$40 billion in the sector to date. Current trends predict the production capacity of clean energy, including solar and nuclear, to reach 14 GW by 2030, up from about 100 MW in 2015 and 2.4 GW in 2020.
In 2017, the country launched the National Climate Change Plan of the UAE 2017-2050, which sets out a framework for managing GHG emissions, adapting to the impacts of climate change, and diversifying the economy through innovation.
In December 2020, the nation submitted its second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Secretariat of the UNFCCC, which entailed raising its climate ambition through several measures, including strengthening its efforts to reduce emissions by 23.5 percent compared to business as usual for the year 2030.
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