UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative

 

I admire the  initiative  that aligns with the Principles of the 50 - the UAE’s roadmap for accelerating national economic development to mark the country’s golden jubilee year, as the nation enters a new 50-year cycle of growth. The major economic opportunities offered by the path to net zero directly support a vision to develop the Emirates into the most dynamic economy in the world. 

UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative builds on the country’s three decades of climate efforts and represents a strategic target for the next three decades.  

Appointment of President-Designate: Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber

Dr. Al Jaber is Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), has served as Special Envoy for Climate Change for two terms (2010–2016, 2020–present) and played a proactive participatory role at over ten COPs, including the historic Paris COP21 in 2015. He brings to this task two decades of executive business and leadership experience in government, climate policy and across the renewable and conventional energy sectors.

Dr. Al Jaber is the first CEO to ever serve as COP President, having played a key role in shaping the country’s clean energy path. As the founding CEO of Masdar, he has overseen its mandate to accelerate the adoption of renewables within the UAE, across the region and globally.

As CEO of ADNOC since 2016, he has played a transformative role in decarbonising and diversifying the company’s operations and investments, placed sustainability at the heart of its business and spearheaded a drive to make today’s energies cleaner while investing in the clean energies of tomorrow. Tangible actions have included sourcing 100% of ADNOC’s grid power from clean nuclear and solar energy, the first company in its sector to do so, pioneering the application of carbon capture technologies with the region’s first CCUS facility and diversifying into hydrogen and renewable energies.

Under Dr. Sultan Al Jaber’s leadership, ADNOC is investing $15 billion over five years in its decarbonisation strategy and its new low-carbon solutions business, including the expansion of its carbon capture capacity to 5 MMTPA by 2030 and its shareholding in Masdar, as it delivers on its target to reduce its carbon intensity by 25% by 2030 and its ambition to reach net-zero by 2050.

Throughout his career, he has pioneered a practical and responsible approach to accelerating the energy transition that embraces climate action, energy accessibility, energy security and economic growth.

As COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Al Jaber will play a crucial role in leading the intergovernmental process, building consensus and driving ambitious climate outcomes with a broad range of partners, including business and civil society.

In 2009, Dr. Al Jaber was also appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki- Moon to his Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change (AGECC), which formed the basis of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative launched in 2011. In 2010, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from India’s TERI University and in 2012, he received the UN Champions of the Earth award for his work on advancing clean energy technologies to mitigate the threats of climate change.

Commenting on his appointment as President of COP28, Dr. Al Jaber said, “This will be a critical year in a critical decade for climate action. The UAE is approaching COP28 with a strong sense of responsibility and the highest possible level of ambition. In cooperation with the UNFCCC and the COP27 Presidency, we will champion an inclusive agenda that ramps up action on mitigation, encourages a just energy transition that leaves no one behind, ensures substantial, affordable climate finance is directed to the most vulnerable, accelerates funding for adaptation and builds out a robust funding facility to address loss and damage.”