COP29: UAE reaffirms commitment to climate goals

The Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, reaffirmed the country's commitment to multilateral collective action and inclusivity in realising the world's climate goals, during COP29 in Baku on Tuesday.

Dr. Al Dahak's official UAE National Statement at the UN conference emphasised that the significance of COP28, hosted in Dubai, lies in it being the most inclusive conference to date.

The minister also outlined how COP28 marked the first ‘Global Stocktake’ of the world’s efforts to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Al Dahak went on to stress that COP28 achieved outstanding success with the adoption of the historic ‘UAE Consensus’, which brought together 198 parties to endorse a practical roadmap to achieve a just, orderly, and equitable energy transition.

She further stressed COP28’s role in activating the essential Loss and Damage Fund as well as other key achievements that paved the way towards delivering greater global climate action.

“The UAE continues to build on the successes of COP28 by implementing ambitious initiatives that utilise innovation, technology and forge strategic partnerships to enhance its sustainable impact. These include the launch of the ‘Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative’, which aims to accelerate the development of innovative solutions to address the global water scarcity crisis,” said Dr. Al Dahak.

She added that the UAE looks forward to hosting the UN 2026 Water Conference, in collaboration with Senegal, where it hopes to accelerate action on Sustainable Development Goal 6.

The minister added, “As part of the shared vision of the COP Presidencies Troika, which represents a partnership between COP28, COP29, and COP30, the UAE is committed to working closely with Azerbaijan and Brazil to strengthen unified efforts, accelerate global energy transformation, enhance climate financing, as well as advance adaptation and resilience in response to climate challenges.

Dr. Al Dahak emphasised the UAE's substantial progress toward achieving Net Zero by 2050, driven by its dedicated and impactful efforts, including tripling its renewable energy capacity, doubling energy efficiency by 2030, and investing $55 billion (AED 200 billion) to ensure that the country's growing energy demand is met. She noted the UAE's success earlier this year, in collaboration with the United Nations and the Republic of Panama, in establishing the International Day of Renewable Energy.

Dr. Al Dahak went on to underscore the importance of technology as an enabler in accelerating climate action, noting that the UAE achieved a technological milestone in October 2024 by utilising green hydrogen in the production of iron and steel. This was made possible through the establishment of a sustainable industrial facility as a pilot project by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar, and Emirates Steel to produce steel using green hydrogen. This project is part of the UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy 2050, which aims to position the UAE as a leading producer and exporter of low-emission hydrogen by 2031.

During the COP29 negotiations, Dr. Al Dahak stated: “The UAE will prioritise the establishment of an ambitious climate finance goal - the New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) - which is crucial for ensuring affordable and accessible climate financing for the Global South. The UAE also aims to finalise the activation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to facilitate effective climate action.”

The minister stated: "We reaffirm our commitment to advancing balanced outcomes across all key areas of the COP29 Conference, including mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, just transition, water, technology, and enhancing the engagement of women and youth.

Dr. Al Dahak concluded, "There is no room for hesitation. As emphasised by the UAE's wise leadership, we must view climate action an opportunity rather than a burden.”