Abu Dhabi Becomes First In MENA To Implement Enhanced Transparency Framework For Climate Action

Abu Dhabi is set to become the first in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to implement the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) at a subnational level. This follows the national-level launch by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) last year. The ETF, established under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, aims to build trust and ensure effective implementation by guiding countries in reporting greenhouse gas emissions and tracking progress towards their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has initiated a project to develop a subnational ETF. This initiative will support the national ETF and track the progress of Abu Dhabi's Climate Change Strategy, launched in 2023. The subnational ETF will regularly contribute data to the national system for reporting purposes. By using advanced technology, this project includes creating a digital platform that aids EAD in regulatory enforcement of climate policies within Abu Dhabi.

The ETF system in Abu Dhabi will monitor sectors such as industry, agriculture and land use change, energy, and waste. These sectors are required to report on greenhouse gases and air emissions. The platform is designed to collect data efficiently with minimal human intervention, enhancing data quality. EAD is responsible for monitoring, reporting, validating, issuing regulations, and managing the ETF system.

Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of EAD, stated: "Following the launch of the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy last year we want to ensure that we are tracking our progress so that we can achieve our ambitious targets. We need to be able to measure accurately, using the most advanced technology, our emissions to ensure that we can reach our goal of reducing Abu Dhabi’s absolute emissions by 47 million tonnes of GHGs by 2030 from 2016 levels, and reduce emissions by 22 per cent from 2016’s recorded emission levels by 2027."

Dr. Al Dhaheri also mentioned: "We will be working closely with our stakeholders from four main emitting sectors: industry, agriculture and land use change, energy and waste, and have developed a user-friendly digital tool to help them provide data." This collaboration aims to assist UAE in presenting its NDCs as part of its strategy for mitigating climate change impacts.

The UAE is committed to addressing climate change seriously. Accurate data monitoring and reporting are crucial steps forward in this effort. The new ETF system will play a significant role in collecting this data effectively. As custodians of climate action in Abu Dhabi, EAD will gather data on greenhouse emissions and air emissions for integration into MOCCAE's national ETF system.

This initiative reflects a collective effort from key players across various sectors in combating climate change effects. By implementing this framework at a subnational level first within MENA region highlights Abu Dhabi's proactive approach towards environmental sustainability goals.

With inputs from WAM