Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
On its 54th Eid Al Etihad, the UAE is celebrating national unity alongside a year of environmental progress. In 2025, ambitious climate strategies and clean-energy projects delivered tangible results, reflecting a shared vision for a greener future.
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) was honoured with a Gold Award in Environmental Policy at the 2025 Green World Awards, in recognition of its science-led, results-driven approach to climate, water, biodiversity, and pollution.
Under the EAD's stewardship, emissions reduction, groundwater improvements, and marine ecosystem recovery have all shown hard gains.
Its Climate Change Strategy (2023–2027) alone set a target to slash carbon emissions by 22% – and by the close of 2024, Abu Dhabi reported a reduction of approximately 25% in CO₂ equivalent emissions, demonstrating early progress toward the strategy's longer-term goals.
These environmental wins are nested within a broader, multidecade blueprint: the Abu Dhabi Environmental Centennial 2071 plan.
Unveiled in 2023, this long-term initiative recently hit 95% completion for its first phase, just two years in, with 359 milestones achieved and 63 initiatives exceeding their goals.
In 2025, the UAE's sustainability agenda broadened to include another priority: attracting global talent. To that end, the Ministry of Economy launched a roadmap for Green Intellectual Property, promoting technologies and innovation in environmental sustainability.
On the residency front, the country unveiled its 10-year Blue Visa, aimed at attracting pioneers in clean energy, sustainability, and conservation.
Financial muscle is also being applied to match the country's green ambition. During the World Green Economy Summit 2025 in Dubai, Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability Affairs, outlined multi billion-dollar climate finance moves.
These include the $30 billion Alterra Fund; a sweeping Dh1 trillion sustainable finance initiative through the UAE Banks Federation; and a push for "Green Sukuk" to mobilise capital on a scale rarely seen in the region.
Energy remains a cornerstone of the story. At Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Masdar broke ground on a round the-clock, gigascale clean-energy project: a 5.2 GW solar plant paired with a 19 GWh battery storage system that will deliver 1 GW of baseload solar power – a first of its kind, designed to operate 24/7.
Next year, the UAE will co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference, a global forum aimed at addressing water security, sustainable management, and climate resilience.
