The United Arab Emirates on Monday pledged to triple its renewable energy production, as part of a series of initiatives announced just months before the planned UN climate summit in the oil-rich country. The Gulf state, which is among the world's top crude exporters, has also promised to expand its hydrogen production and accelerate the rollout of electric cars.
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Around €50 billion invested
The authorities did not provide details on these new strategies, unveiled before the world climate conference (COP28), scheduled for late November in Dubai and during which hundreds of participants will discuss ways to combat global warming. The Council of Ministers approved an update to the country's "national energy strategy" that aims to "triple the contribution of renewable energy over the next seven years," UAE Prime Minister and Dubai leader Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum said after a cabinet meeting. Up to 200 billion dirhams (about 50 billion euros) will be invested during this period to meet the growing demand for electricity, he said in a statement.
The second initiative "aims to consolidate the country's position as a producer and exporter of low-emission hydrogen over the next eight years," through the development of supply chains and infrastructure, and the establishment of a research center, he added. The country of nearly 10 million inhabitants, 90% of whom are expatriates, also plans to have a vast network of charging stations as part of a "national policy for electric vehicles".
Chinese company WeRide will receive the country's first license for self-driving cars, according to the statement. The UAE has been heavily criticised by environmentalists for choosing Sultan al-Jaber, the boss of Emirati oil giant ADNOC, to chair COP28. He argues that fossil fuels are essential to the global economy, and calls for carbon capture technologies to be used to reduce emissions responsible for global warming.
In 2021, the Gulf country committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. However, this target does not take into account the emissions produced by oil exported and burned outside the country's borders.