ABU DHABI: The UAE is considering a 2050 target to align with a global push to keep temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter.
If the discussions succeed, the UAE could become the first among OPEC countries to technically reach net zero while continuing with plans to invest billions in oil extraction.
This move would please Western countries pushing for stronger climate commitments but won’t require it to sell less oil.
The net-zero charge is being led by Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE’s special envoy for climate change and its minister of industry and advanced technology.
We are “certainly working on a whole-of-government approach to see at what point it would be feasible to achieve net zero,” Hana AlHashimi, who heads Al Jaber’s office, said on a call hosted by the US-UAE Business Council on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg. “I’d encourage you to stay tuned,” she said.
The country aims to make an announcement before the UN climate summit in Glasgow in November, the people said, asking not to be identified for the privacy of the ongoing talks.
Emissions from burning fossil fuels after they’re shipped abroad aren’t included in such country-level targets. The fossil fuels remain UAE’s biggest source of revenue, contributing about 30 percent to GDP. Still, the nation has taken steps to bolster its green credentials.
Only half of all power capacity is set to be emission free by 2050, consisting of renewables and nuclear, according to the UAE’s long-term energy plan. The country plans to meet the rest of its energy needs with gas and coal.
Climate Action Tracker, a nonprofit that analyzes climate goals, rates the UAE’s policies “highly insufficient.”
The UAE is now bidding to host the UN’s global climate talks in 2023. It’s up against South Korea, which has already set a net-zero by 2050 goal.
The UAE has been a target of US lobbying for stronger green commitments. It’s among the few countries to host special climate envoy John Kerry twice since he took office earlier this year, Bloomberg said.
Kerry expressed optimism that Saudi Arabia will agree to a net-zero emissions target of around 2050 after visiting the nation on his most recent trip to the region.
