UAE

Overall rating
Critically insufficient

Policies and action
against modelled domestic pathways

Critically insufficient
4°C+ World

NDC target
against modelled domestic pathways

Almost Sufficient
< 2°C World

NDC target
against fair share

Critically insufficient
4°C+ World
Climate finance
Not assessed
Net zero target

year

2050

Comprehensiveness rated as

Average
Land use & forestry
Not assessed

Summary

We evaluate the net zero target as: Average

In January 2024, just weeks after COP28, the UAE submitted its first long-term strategy (LTS) to the UNFCCC, including its 2050 net zero target (Government of the UAE, 2024). The LTS officially communicates longer-term targets beyond 2030. In 2021 the UAE had already announced its intention to reach net zero by 2050, as part of the UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative.

The LTS significantly improves the clarity of the UAE’s net-zero target and covers most key elements considered important by the CAT to enhance transparency, target architecture, and scope. For example, the government has enshrined the target into law, provides a transparent assumption on the use of carbon dioxide removal in the target year, and establishes a legally-binding review process of the target in five-year intervals. We evaluate the comprehensiveness of the UAE’s net zero target as ‘average’, an upgrade from the ‘poor’ rating ahead of the LTS submission.

Despite this progress, the UAE has several avenues to improve the scope, target architecture and transparency of its net zero target. For example, the government could include F-gases, international aviation, and international shipping under its target coverage, or explain why its net zero target is a fair contribution to the global goal of limiting warming to 1.5˚C above pre-industrial levels, and transparently address any existing gap between its net zero target and what would be a fair target.

Additionally, it is concerning that the UAE's plans to increase use of fossil gas to meet its net zero target, and also has a heavy reliance on carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology that is neither commercially viable, nor one that reduces emissions to zero (Climate Action Tracker, 2023a). The UAE’s major oil and gas expansion plans are clearly not in line with a global transition to net zero emissions. According to the IEA (2023), there should be no new investments into oil and gas projects under a net zero scenario.

UAE
Comprehensiveness of net zero target design
Average
Scope
Target year: 2050
Emissions coverage

Target covers emissions / sectors partially (under 95% coverage)

International aviation and shipping

The target excludes both international aviation and shipping

Reductions or removals outside of own borders

Relies on international offset credits or reserves right to use them to meet net zero

Architecture
Legal Status

Net zero target in law

Separate reduction & removal targets

Separate emission reduction and removal targets

Review Process

Legally binding process to review the net zero target

Transparency
Carbon dioxide removal

Transparent assumptions or pathways for LULUCF and removals

Comprehensive planning

Some information on the anticipated pathway or measures for achieving net zero is available, but with limited detail.

Clarity on fairness of target

Country makes no reference to fairness or equity in the context of its net zero target

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