Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has unveiled a comprehensive green action plan for the UAE at the recent Cabinet meeting held in Expo City Dubai. The plan, consisting of ten key initiatives, marks a significant step toward achieving new environmental goals and underscores the nation’s commitment to sustainability.
Among the approved initiatives is the adoption of the Biodiversity Strategy 2031 framework, aimed at monitoring and protecting natural ecosystems. The strategy seeks to rehabilitate and restore 80% of degraded land and marine areas, preserve at least 21% of land and marine ecosystems, and enhance the status of endangered native species by 10%.
Furthermore, the UAE has pledged its commitment to the “global cooling pledge,” joining over 60 countries in an effort to reduce emissions from the cooling sector, an announcement made earlier at the Cop28 climate conference hosted at Expo City Dubai.
The Cabinet’s decisions also include supporting a global initiative to decarbonize the waste sector and establishing a national registry of carbon credits. This registry will allow government and private institutions to evaluate and document their contributions to reducing emissions.
Sheikh Mohammed shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the Cabinet approved the country’s fifth national communication report, documenting the success of national efforts in reducing carbon emissions across various sectors. Additionally, a report on the nation’s long-term, low-carbon development strategy was released.
As part of the sustainability drive, the Cabinet greenlit the establishment of the UAE Electric Vehicle Charging Station Company. This company will be tasked with developing an efficient infrastructure for electric vehicle charging and devising a pricing strategy for its services.
A policy for sustainable aviation fuel and smart construction was also launched during the meeting. The sustainable aviation fuel policy aims to ensure that at least 1% of the total fuel supplied at UAE airports to national airlines in 2031 is sustainable and domestically produced. The plan has set an ambitious goal of producing 700 million liters of sustainable aviation fuel annually by 2030.
Reflecting on the UAE’s strides in climate action, Sheikh Mohammed emphasized that the country had issued more than 60 policies, initiatives, and decisions in 2023 alone to combat climate change and its impact.
The Cop28 conference, which has been hosted at Expo City Dubai, is set to conclude on Tuesday. In addition to the sustainability initiatives, the Cabinet also addressed various matters, including juvenile crimes, cultural initiatives, and updates in government services during the meeting.
