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ABU DHABI - The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has signed a pledge to join the Advisory Committee of the UAE Alliance for Climate Action (UACA) in support of the country's net zero ambitions.
UACA was launched at COP27 by environmental charity Emirates Nature-WWF to create a multi-stakeholder alliance for climate action. Its vision is to increase momentum for near-and long-term net-zero targets and foster greater collaboration to create a policy environment that supports entities' decarbonisation efforts. UACA engages sub-national and non-state actors including the private sector, and is endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
UACA is part of the global Alliances for Climate Action, an accelerator of the Race to Zero global campaign led by the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions that rallies leadership and support from non-state actors to build momentum around decarbonisation and halve emissions by 2030 in line with the Paris Agreement.
Signing the pledge on behalf of EAD was Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Agency, in the presence of Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chair of the UACA Advisory Committee, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, along with Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director-General of Emirates Nature-WWF.
EAD has signed the commitment to join UACA and the UACA Advisory Committee. As part of the UACA Advisory Committee, EAD will work alongside other members to provide high-level strategic and technical guidance that draws on the sectoral expertise of its diverse leaders and supports UACA's objective of increasing momentum towards a net zero future.
The Agency will also work to ensure UACA is a key driver for enhanced domestic sub-national non-state actor commitments, while supporting UACA's outreach by supporting synergies between non-state actor decarbonisation learnings and engaging policymakers on findings and recommendations to accelerate the transition to net-zero.
Moreover, EAD will raise awareness around UACA and its benefits to the UAE, identify strategic opportunities for UACA to contribute to national projects, such as the Climate Responsible Sustainable Companies pledge, and assign a focal point to achieve the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative by sharing information on upcoming policies and relevant information as necessary.
Speaking on the occasion, Razan Al Mubarak said, "EAD is the primary custodian of climate action in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and it is fitting that the Agency would be a key member of the UAE Alliance for Climate Action Advisory Committee due to its vast years of experience in addressing climate change.
"Just last year, EAD launched the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy, designed with ambitious targets to reduce emissions in Abu Dhabi as a means of combatting climate change. Therefore, EAD will be a prominent member providing experienced and significant guidance – all with the goal of supporting the UAE's strategic initiative to reach Net Zero by 2050."
Dr. Shaikha emphasised Abu Dhabi's commitment to reaching Net Zero by 2050 in alignment with the UAE Government's vision.