The UAE has confirmed its commitment to achieving targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. This affirmation comes after an independent research group stated that the country, which will host the United Nations climate conference (COP28) this year, is far from being on track to achieve these goals. In an analysis published last week, the international research group Climate Action Tracker stated, "The UAE will significantly fail to meet its climate goals if it proceeds with its plans to expand oil and gas production and consumption." The group predicted that carbon emissions in the UAE will continue to rise until 2030, which contradicts the significant reductions needed to mitigate climate change.
In response to the group's analysis, the UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment pointed out that the UAE has recently issued an updated version of its nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and is fully committed to achieving its ambitious emissions reduction targets. The ministry added that the UAE’s new ambition, announced earlier this month, involves a "significant acceleration" of its path toward achieving climate neutrality by 2050. It emphasized that this new target aligns the UAE with the ambition and determination of many of its partners in the climate issue to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius goal within reach.
In its analysis, the group noted that the UAE's plans to expand oil and gas production and consumption would lead to its failure to achieve its climate goals, even if it also expanded its clean energy sources concurrently. The group stated that these plans contradict the goal of limiting global temperature rise to above 1.5 degrees Celsius. The UAE's current target is to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to a "business as usual" scenario.
