Under the title "UAE First Oil State Aiming for Net Zero Emissions by 2050," Bloomberg Asharq reported that the UAE could become the first oil-producing nation to set a target for achieving net zero carbon emissions among OPEC members. This step may please Western countries that are pushing for stronger climate commitments but is unlikely to significantly impact the country's massive oil industry. According to informed sources, who requested anonymity due to the confidentiality of deliberations, the UAE is considering establishing 2050 as a target year, in line with the global initiative to prevent temperature increases beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels, and aims to announce the matter before the UN climate summit in Glasgow in November.
**Contradictory Goals**
If the UAE makes a final decision to set 2050 as its target for net zero carbon emissions, it would be the first major oil-producing country to establish such an ambitious climate goal. However, the emissions from burning fossil fuels after they are exported are not counted in national climate targets, meaning the UAE could technically achieve net zero emissions while continuing plans to invest billions in oil extraction. The UAE began exporting oil in the 1960s, before becoming a federal state, and increasing oil revenues have made the country one of the richest in the world. Fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions have risen in parallel, with the UAE, home to around 10 million people, generating 190 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2019, according to the Global Carbon Project, and having one of the highest per capita emissions in the world, surpassing Australia and the United States.
**Energy Source Map**
The UAE's current long-term energy plan indicates that only half of the energy production will be emission-free by 2050, consisting of renewable and nuclear sources, while the country plans to meet the rest of its energy needs from gas and coal. Climate Action Tracker, a nonprofit organization that analyzes climate targets, described the UAE's policies as "significantly insufficient," and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the state energy giant, plans to increase its production capacity from about 4 million barrels per day to 5 million over the next decade. While the country has been working to diversify its economy since the 1980s, fossil fuels remain the largest source of income, contributing about 30% of GDP. Nevertheless, the country has taken steps to improve its green record, establishing Masdar, Abu Dhabi's renewable energy arm that manages assets worth $240 billion, in the early 2000s to build clean energy projects. The city also hosts the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency.
**Target for Lobby Groups**
The mission to achieve net zero emissions is led by Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the UAE's special climate change envoy, who is also the CEO of ADNOC and previously managed Masdar. His biography and current government position make him an influential figure in climate policy formulation, but the final decision will rest with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Hana Al Hashemi, head of Al Jaber's office, stated in a call hosted by the American-UAE Business Council on Wednesday: "We are certainly working on a whole-of-government approach to see at what stage it will be possible to achieve net zero emissions... and I urge you to stay tuned."
The UAE has become a target for American lobbying groups for stronger environmental commitments, being among the few countries to host U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry twice since he took office earlier this year, where Kerry emphasized that one of his objectives is to urge other countries to reduce emissions more rapidly over the next decade to ensure the world stays on track for net zero emissions by 2050. Establishing a net zero emissions target by the UAE could increase pressure on other Middle Eastern countries to do the same, and Kerry expressed optimism that Saudi Arabia would agree to 2050 as a target year for achieving such a goal following his visit to the kingdom during his recent trip to the region.
