United Arab Emirates Member Committee

The UAE is doubling down on efforts to address climate change and accelerate the global energy transition. It has adopted a balanced, proactive, and positive approach to the energy transition that is pro-growth, pro-sustainability, and pro-climate. The UAE is driving a new low-carbon, high-growth economic model that will guide its development for the next 50 years. The country leadership’s wisdom and foresight in laying the foundation for a progressive approach to climate action has ensured it is well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunities created by the energy transition. 

Our commitment has been made clear in our Energy Strategy 2050, where we announced targets of tripling our renewables capacity and increasing the share of installed clean energy capacity in the total energy mix to 30% by 2030. 

The UAE is actively spearheading the deployment of renewable energy solutions, with numerous mega-projects already operational and others in various stages of development. Today, the UAE is home to three of the world's largest and most cost-effective solar plants. 

Al Dhafra solar plant, is one of the world's largest single-site solar projects with 1,584 MW of renewable power, is a significant part of the country's renewable energy landscape, and Noor Abu Dhabi solar plant provides a capacity of 1177 MW. Additionally, large utility-scale solar projects are under construction Al Ajban and Khazna Solar Photovoltaic (PV) project is under development with a capacity of 1500 MW each. These projects aim to promote a sustainable and resilient energy future.  

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park stands as a testament to sustainable energy initiatives, and it holds the distinction of being the world’s largest single-site solar park operating under the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. With a strategic vision for the future, this monumental project is planned to achieve a remarkable production capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030, supported by substantial investments amounting to USD 13.613 billion. Upon completion, it is projected to mitigate over 6.5 million tons of carbon emissions annually, contributing significantly to the nation’s sustainable energy goals and climate commitments. 

The UAE has achieved significant milestones in increasing its renewable energy capacity. Between 2019 and 2022, we successfully doubled our renewable energy capacity, and by 2023, we witnessed a remarkable 70% growth in installed renewables capacity. These achievements were made possible through the translation of our national net-zero goal into actionable policies, and the adaptation of our energy strategy to align with our new objectives. Additionally, we raised our target for energy efficiency to 45% by 2050, implemented building retrofit programs, introduced initiatives for clean mobility, and established a robust finance structure. 

We are also taking confident steps in deploying low-emission hydrogen. The National Hydrogen Strategy 2050 targets the production of 15 million tons of low-emission hydrogen per annum by 2050. 

Believing in the power of public-private partnerships, we worked with private sector companies, which is a significant step forward in sustainable financing. To instill confidence and enthusiasm among investors, we took proactive measures to mitigate risks associated with renewable energy variations. By doing so, we provided investors with assurance and created an environment ripe for exploring new growth opportunities in the renewable energy sector.  

With a diverse energy mix, including gas, nuclear, waste, and solar, the UAE has invested in clean technologies and infrastructure to ensure reliable power and water supply. In 2023, clean energy contributed 23.72% to the overall energy mix of the country. 

The Barakah Plant is now recognized as a benchmark for new nuclear energy projects around the world and contributes to the leading role of the UAE in the global clean energy transition. This is a result of the strategic vision of the UAE’s leadership who made the decision to invest in nuclear energy more than 14 years ago with 5.6 GW capacity. Thanks to the support of our leadership, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and our Korean partners developed a new model for financing and managing an advanced nuclear energy mega project, which is now rapidly decarbonizing the UAE’s power sector. With the completion of Unit 4 of the Barakah Plant, ENEC is now only a few steps away from supplying 25 percent of the UAE’s electricity demand with zero emissions, decarbonizing the power sector. 

The UAE has been financing clean energy projects domestically for over 15 years and has invested over USD 43 billion in the sector to date. Current projections indicate that the production capacity of clean energy, including solar and nuclear, will reach 19.8 GW by 2030. The UAE actively supports green infrastructure and clean energy projects worldwide, having invested more than USD 50 billion in renewable energy initiatives in 70 countries, with a particular focus on developing nations’ clean energy capacity. Additionally, the UAE has provided over USD 400 million in aid and soft loans for clean energy projects in developing countries. 

The UAE has introduced the National Demand-Side Management (DSM) Program 2050, which sets ambitious targets for energy and water savings by 2050. This program focuses on four key pillars: agriculture, built environment, industry, and transport. The goal is to reduce water demand by 40% and energy demand by 50% by 2050. 

To support this goal, the UAE has introduced the Federal Energy Management Regulation in Industrial Facilities, which serves as a foundational framework for federal regulations related to sustainability and energy optimization in industries operating across all emirates of the UAE. The focus of this program is directed towards the 50 largest industrial energy consumers in the UAE. 

The UAE took the center stage by hosting COP28 which marked a transformative approach to global climate discussions, focusing on inclusion and collective efforts towards combating climate change. It was the first to conduct a Global Stocktake, assessing the progress towards Paris Agreement goals. The UAE Consensus, being the backbone of the conference, aimed to fulfill existing commitments and introduce new initiatives across different agenda items, including adaptation, mitigation, and capacity transfer. 

The UAE Consensus includes an unprecedented reference to transitioning away from all fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly, and equitable manner in this critical decade to enable the world to reach net zero emissions by 2050, in keeping with the science. This involves ambitious updates to nationally determined contributions, tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. 

As the way forward, the UAE is committed to continuing on the same path, driving a robust energy transition at the scale and pace needed to meet climate commitments and achieve net zero by 2050.  

Acknowledgements

UAE Member Committee