UAE has ratified the Paris Agreement

In September 2016, UAE became the first Arabian Gulf country to accept the Paris Agreement, which aims to combat global warming.

What is the Paris Agreement?

The Paris Agreement on climate change is a voluntary accord among 197 countries to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions. Specifically, the Paris Agreement aims to keep the world's mean temperature from rising by more than 2 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the year 2100, and ideally, contain rising temperatures to 1.5 degree Celsius. Scientists believe that keeping planetary warming below this level is necessary to avert the worst effects of global climate change, such as a rising sea level and more frequent extreme-weather events.

UAE Climate Change Plan

Climate Change Policies and Initiatives

UAE has come up with policies and initiatives that aim to diversify the economy into new, knowledge-based industries. It has also led the region in deploying clean energy, with pioneering projects and policies in renewable and nuclear energy, energy and water efficiency, and carbon sequestration and was the first in the region to set a clean energy target of 24 % by 2021. It has also deployed energy-saving infrastructure — from strict green build codes to world-class light rail and metro systems.

Specific Climate Actions

Controlling emissions through:

Renewable Energy:

The UAE lacks many of the most widespread renewable energy resources, with no potential for hydroelectric power or tidal power and relatively little biomass. However the region is blessed with sunshine. Abu Dhabi has set a renewable energy target which it expects to meet largely through solar power. We are also developing geothermal cooling at Masdar City.

Peaceful Nuclear Power:

The UAE views peaceful nuclear energy as a significant contributor to meet increasing future electricity demand and as part of its strategy for the overall reduction in carbon emissions and to supplement solar and clean fossil fuel power plants. A sizeable nuclear energy sector is being developed in Barakah in UAE which consists of four nuclear power reactors and the associated infrastructure, the first of which is scheduled for commercial operation in 2017.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation:

From new standards for appliances such as air conditioning, to the cutting edge technologies being demonstrated in Masdar City, the UAE is putting efficiency at the heart of its domestic energy strategy.

Transport:

UAE is investing in new mass transit systems such as Dubai?s light rail system and a proposed high speed train.

Building Design:

New energy efficiency standards for buildings are being set at a national level. In addition, the Urban Planning Council has developed the new ?Estidama? (Arabic word for Sustainability) label for sustainable buildings, the first standard adapted for this region and climate.

Carbon Capture and Storage (clean fossil fuels):

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a means of mitigating climate change by capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from large point sources such as power plants and storing it safely underground instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. The potential impact of CCS is huge. The UAE is developing a major CCS project.

Sources and references:

http://citiscope.org/story/2017/explainer-what-paris-agreement-climate-change-and-what-does-it-mean-cities

http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/environment/uae-ratifies-paris-climate-agreement-1.1900434

http://mofa.gov.ae/EN/TheUAE/Pages/Energy-and-Climate-Change-.aspx