United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) enters the CCPI at 65th, as one of the lowest performing countries.

The country receives a very low in the GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, and Energy Use categories and a medium in Climate Policy.

Per capita emissions are among the highest in the world

The UAE‘s per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are among the highest in the world, as is its per capita wealth, while its national climate targets are inadequate. The UAE continues to develop and finance new oil and gas fields domestically and abroad.

The country submitted an updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) this year. While it has increased its ambition, the targets remain below its fair share and implementation needs to follow. While the CCPI country experts welcome the government’s efforts to expand large-scale solar projects, the share of renewables in total primary energy supply (TPES) remains below 1%. In addition to investing in carbon capture and storage technologies, the UAE should seek to reduce its emissions in ways such as exploiting its strong potential for renewable energy production.

The experts also criticise the UAE’s uncoordinated waste management practices, which result in expensive projects but neglect large sources of emissions. And the experts call for stricter building codes to improve energy efficiency, as energy consumption should be reduced.

UAE hosts COP28

The UAE is planning the largest COP ever and is highly motivated to make it a success. To this end, it plans to launch several of its own policy initiatives, in addition to successful negotiations.

In the run-up to COP28, many have been critical of the role of COP President Sultan Al Jaber, who is the CEO of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The company wants to further expand oil and gas production.

Key Outcomes

CCPI experts

The following national experts agreed to be mentioned as contributors for this year’s CCPI:

• Tobias Koc