In hot and dry conditions, the United Arab Emirates has found it difficult to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The United Arab Emirates is reviewing plans for a net zero emission target, a process that could not be completed on time for COP26 climate talks.
While the country is considering such a goal, high temperatures and dry conditions make it difficult to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because more energy is needed to cool and dry.
“Don’t expect COP26 to announce anything, but like any other part of the world, we are thinking of a clear zero target,” said Kais al-Suwayidi, head of the ministry’s Climate Change Department. Still, discussions were held at all levels of government, and a full review could be made before the meeting, he said.
No major OPEC manufacturer has set a net zero target, and it is likely to do so in Clas26 in Glasgow in October and November. The United Kingdom and the United States have pledged to reduce emissions. Over the next three decades, removing them from zero will be seen as crucial to prevent pre-industrial temperatures above 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Al-Suwaydi said other countries have been quick to point out that they do not show how to achieve climate goals or that they do not legislate.
“There is a lot of talk – we can achieve net zero, we will do this, we will do that,” he said. “But in practice we see the opposite. We like to do things differently. ”
He said more time was needed to conduct studies that would determine how fast the UAE could reach the net zero.
Strong pledges do not force the United Arab Emirates to sell its oil-rich economy. But a clear zero target for emissions along its borders would make the UAE one of the largest producers in the world and perhaps others in the Persian Gulf.
Al-Suwaydi said the UAE’s targets were still power-hungry. In December, it pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 25% over the next 10 years, according to the report. Al-Suwayidi said the country, which is competing with South Korea to host the UN COP28 in 2023, was on its way.