MOCCAE presents UAE’s Net Zero 2050 national strategy

After the announcement in UAE Government annual meetings earlier this month of the comprehensive committee of the nation Net Zero 2050 Strategy, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environmenttoday outlined a detailed national action plan to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

Almheiri saying,

“Already in 2021, the UAE Net Zero Strategic Initiative, coordinated by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, began to study, evaluate and propose National Climate Pathways to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. Following the endorsement of the Cabinet of the UAE to our plan, We are now introducing a set of enablers and initiatives that will accelerate our path to becoming a climate neutral nation.”

She added,

“The UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy is designed to act as an engine for economic and social advancement by leading the transition towards Net Zero emissions and thereby contributing to global mitigation efforts. “It will create extensive new employment opportunities, with around 200,000 new roles planned, including highly skilled sustainable jobs in the solar, battery and hydrogen sub-sectors.”

The implementation of the strategy is expected to contribute to around 3 percent of the national GDP, as well as increased export opportunities. Almheiri explained,

“The UAE’s journey towards sustainability has taught us that climate action can act as a powerful catalyst for economic growth and opportunity, creating new sustainable jobs, advancing technologies at a good pace and creating a future economy based on sustainable foundations. . “The Net Zero 2050 Strategy is designed to act as a social and economic springboard for our nation.”

Almheiri called for action by emphasizing the importance of collaboration between the federal and local governments, the private sector and the community to help the UAE meet its target for each sector.

He UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategy is part of the nation’s ambitious Net Zero journey and provides a tangible national program to achieve emissions reduction targets. It’s based on Net Zero Strategic Initiative by 2050launched in 2021, which established the UAE’s ambition, followed by the launch of the National Net Zero Roadmap for 2050 (2022), which established the timeline and mechanisms.

Fundamentally, the Net Zero 2050 Strategy shows how the country will build on the momentum created by the Third Update of the UAE’s Second NDC, moving from a 40 percent emissions reduction by 2030 to Net Zero by 2050.

Minister Almheiri saying,

“Ahead of COP28 and in the Year of Sustainability, our Net Zero 2050 Strategy demonstrates that the UAE embraces its duty to think about future generations and have the courage to take bold action. It is an approach that embodies both the legacy and vision of our founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the vision and ambition of the President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”

In the heart of the ambitious UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategy, there are more than 25 programs covering six main sectors: energy, industry, transport, construction, waste and agriculture. Across these sectors, initiatives will focus on improving efficiency and increasing the deployment of renewable energy sources. The focus will also be on increasing the share of clean energy, increasing consumption efficiency and switching to sustainable transport systems and green buildings, as well as using nature-based solutions and carbon capture technologies. The strategy has also set emissions reduction targets for different sectors.

The UAE has set clear sectoral targets and emissions in the power and water sector will be reduced to zero by 2050 from 0.55 million tonnes per MWh during the base year 2019. Similarly, industry emissions will be will reduce to 7 million tonnes from 103 MTC02e starting in 2019. Emissions in the transport sector will reduce to zero from 42 MTCO2e in 2019, and to 1 MTCO2e by 2050 across the construction sector from 62 MTCO2e in 2019. Sector Waste emissions will be reduced to 3 MTCO2e by 2050 from 13 MTCO2e in 2019, and agricultural emissions are intended to be reduced to 1 MTCO2e in 2050 from 6 MTCO2e during the base year.

Additionally, through nature-based solutions such as mangrove planting and direct air capture, the country will reach 13 MtCO2e by 2050.

Specifically for the energy and water sector, the strategy aims to strengthen storage, while for industry, the use of alternative materials and the improvement of carbon capture and storage will be improved. To reduce emissions in the transport sector, the strategy focuses on promoting clean modes of transport, including electric vehicles, while for the construction sector there will be greater emphasis on building codes and the use of construction materials ecological.

To reduce emissions in the waste sector, the strategy seeks to explore alternative materials and energy sources, supporting the pillars of the circular economy, as well as optimizing consumption, which is also applicable for the agricultural sector, in addition to agricultural solutions. climate smart. Capturing emissions during the process will also be a strategic priority. Additionally, the strategy aims to improve negative emissions through ongoing plans for mangrove planning, with a commitment to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030, and also by promoting direct air capture technology.

The UAE has identified several “enablers” that will help create the kind of empowering ecosystem needed for the Net Zero 2050 Strategy to thrive. These include the implementation of Climate Finance Mechanisms; the development of new technologies through supportive R&D; and a dynamic Upskilling and Capacities Plan.

He Ministry of Climate Change and Environment will coordinate the progressive and far-reaching actions of more than 45 major stakeholders, including ministries, government-related entities and national champion companies.

News source: Emirates News Agency