United Arab Emirates

UNDP UAE News

2014 State of Energy Report Launched between UNDP and Dubai

The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) unveiled the first-ever edition of its new State of the Energy Report for Dubai. With sustainable energy emerging at the top of the global development agenda, and 2014 set to launch the International Decade of Sustainable Energy, a key challenge will be to move from global dialogue to local action.

The inaugural State of Energy Report for Dubai stands as an example of this effort, one of the world’s first sub-national reports to capture trends and opportunities in the drive for a sustainable energy future. Developed in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and the Dubai Carbon Centre for Excellence, the State of the Energy Report highlights the drive by Dubai to emerge as a centre of innovation, investment and technology in the Arab region.

The State of Energy Report is a flagship initiative in support of the UAE National Green Economy for Sustainable Development Strategy launched in 2012, and serves as a platform of partnerships to spur new green economy opportunities. As noted by HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of DSCE, the partnership between the Government and UNDP is “a matter of pride for the Emirate of Dubai but also an enabler to share and improve the relevance of energy within sustainable development.”

As highlighted in the report, the UAE has set a target of achieving 5% of its energy mix from renewable energy by 2030 while also seeking to reduce energy intensity by 30%. Like a number of countries in the Arab region, it seeks to place sustainable energy solutions at the centre of a new sustainable development pathway. As shown in the results of a Greenhouse Gas Inventory captured in the report, Dubai makes up 25% of the UAEs total GHG emissions. Overall the top sources of UAE’s emission are electricity and water (35%), transport (26%), industry (21%), among other sources.

To assess trends towards sustainable energy goals, the report brings together 50 leading thinkers on sustainable energy solutions to highlight specific trends and challenges in areas such as models for energy governance and low-carbon strategies, new financing models, catalysts and incentives for solar energy expansion, reducing energy intensity through end-use energy efficiency measures, and clean technology applications for green buildings and sustainable transport. Contributors include leading figures from the UAE and Dubai Government, UNDP, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Middle East Solar Industry Association,  the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Masdar Institute, to name a few.

At the launch of the report, Kishan Khoday, UNDP Regional Practice Leader for Energy & Environment noted how “the emergence of local leadership for sustainable energy will be key to achieving global goals. A need exists to bring forth best practices and lessons learned as local partners like Dubai pursue sustainable energy. Cooperation with emerging economies like the UAE can support progress to reduce energy intensity locally, while new global partnerships can be forged as well to bring these new levels of innovation and investment to bear on sustainable energy goals in developing countries around the world.”

UNDP is currently working with countries across the Arab region, from Palestine and Iraq, to Egypt, Tunisia and Sudan, to expand the use of renewable energy as a source of social, economic and environmental triple-wins in development.

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