The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) announced the results of the third GHG emissions report in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which includes an update of GHG inventories and estimated future emissions for 2030 for both direct and indirect emissions from energy, industrial processes, agriculture, waste management, land and forestry.
The results of the inventory indicate that anthropogenic emissions, mainly carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorine, have increased due to increased demand for water and energy in light of Abu Dhabi's rapid economic and demographic growth and the extremely hot dry climatic conditions in the region. The increase in emissions is in line with population growth, the increase in GDP and economic development. The main reason for this increase was electricity generation and desalination, oil and gas extraction and processing, industrial activities and the transport sector.
The total greenhouse gas emissions in the Emirate amounted to 135.4 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, an annual increase of 6% during the period 2010-2016, indicating that the carbon dioxide accounted for 89% of the greenhouse gases, and that this amount of emissions accounted for Less than 0.3% of the world's total emissions, the lowest in the world.
The Commission noted that sustainable development strategies and climate change mitigation measures ensure that Abu Dhabi remains on track to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the medium term, compared to the business scenario as usual where no emissions controls are assumed. Mitigation strategies will contribute to stability Emissions over the next decade at a level similar to the current emissions level, and per capita CO2 emissions in the emirate are projected to fall by 50% from current values by 2030.
The energy sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in 2016 (78.2%), and the sector is also expected to achieve the largest emission reduction rate of 37% over the next decade. For the first time, the latest inventory also included information on the carbon stored in the wetlands of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (such as mangroves and seagrass).
For his part, Minister of Climate Change and Environment Dr. Thani Ahmed Al-Zwaidi said that the UAE, under the leadership of the UAE, has embraced the concept of a green low carbon economy through the UAE's green development strategy. It is an important tool to control economic growth and guide it towards sustainability. Monitor the quality of the air and work to raise continuously to reach specific goals, the most important achievement of 90% of the green days of the year by 2021 according to the National Agenda for the vision of the UAE 2021.
He added that the Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment, in cooperation with concerned government agencies and institutions in all emirates, is keen to achieve these goals through various initiatives and projects. He pointed out that the Ministry is currently working in collaboration with several institutions in the country on an integrated project to inventory the sources and concentrations of emissions and pollutants With the aim of drawing up a complete map of the state that identifies the most important hotspots or high concentration of emission production, with the aim of reducing them and creating a precise and integrated database that will contribute to guiding the general path towards the transition to the green economy targeted by the state, For present and future generations.