As the impacts of climate change like desertification, biodiversity loss, pollution, and severe weather persist, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is approaching the green transition and decarbonization with a great sense of urgency. Between its ratification of the 2015 Paris Agreement, its $160 billion investment in renewables over the next 30 years, and its green initiatives collaborations with other nations and private sector leaders, the UAE has made aggressive efforts toward a net-zero future—leading its region in the process.  

While full-scale decarbonization will require a systemic shift in the UAE’s energy, manufacturing, and transport sectors, there is an enormous opportunity for low carbon sustainable economic development, says UAE Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, Her Excellency Sarah Bint Yousif Al Amiri.

Building the low-carbon  industries of the future means leveraging advanced and emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and robotics to improve efficiency, incentivizing energy efficiency among manufacturers, and promoting scalable decarbonization best practices.

As one of the world’s largest integrated energy companies, ADNOC, is faced with a generational challenge of minimizing emissions while maximizing energy outputs, says ADNOC Executive Director of Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth, Musabbeh Al Kaabi.

Beyond implementing nature based solutions such as mangrove planting, ADNOC is implementing and piloting new technology to permanently remove carbon through mineralization, says Al Kaabi. Startups and players outside the traditional energy sector are also emerging with new innovations employing AI, supercomputing, and big data analytics that can help accelerate the energy transition.

By establishing a resilient science and technology ecosystem within the UAE and investing in clean energy projects and renewables worldwide, the nation looks to address climate change challenges regionally and globally, says Al Amiri. Looking forward, these investments and policies will create new green business models and services that can enable the UAE to achieve both carbon neutrality and strong economic growth through its pragmatic, resilient, and inclusive approach.