UAE To Highlight Clean Energy Progress And Climate Neutrality At WFES 2024

The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) is set to showcase the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) strides in clean energy at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2024. This prestigious event, scheduled from April 16th to 18th at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, will serve as a platform for the UAE to exhibit its progress towards achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Sharif Al Olama, the Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at MoEI, emphasized the significance of the Summit in fostering international collaboration in the clean energy sector. He stated, "The Summit offers a real opportunity to drive international cooperation in the clean energy sector to help build an ecosystem for sustainable, affordable energy supply, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement." Al Olama further highlighted that the UAE's participation aligns with its goals to diversify energy sources and achieve climate neutrality.

The UAE has been at the forefront of adopting new clean energy technologies and practices. In 2023, it updated its UAE Energy Strategy 2050, aiming to enhance the share of clean energy in its energy mix significantly. The strategy outlines ambitious targets to improve energy consumption efficiency by 42-45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, triple the share of renewable energy by 2030, and increase installed clean energy capacity from 14.2 GW to 19.8 GW by 2030. These measures are expected to boost the share of installed clean energy capacity in the total energy mix to 30% by 2030.

In addition to these efforts, the UAE launched the National Hydrogen Strategy 2050. This long-term plan aims to cement the UAE's position as a leading producer and supplier of low-emission hydrogen by 2031. It focuses on developing supply chains, establishing hydrogen oases, and setting up a dedicated national research and development centre for hydrogen technologies. The strategy sets a target for producing 15 million tons of low-emission hydrogen per annum.

Al Olama concluded by noting that these initiatives underscore the UAE's commitment to building a sustainable future for coming generations. Through its proactive approach and strategic investments in clean energy, the UAE is taking confident steps towards achieving its environmental and sustainability goals.

With inputs from WAM