Muscat: Eng Mohsin Sulaiman al Jabri, Director General of the Oman Net Zero Centre, said the updated National Net Zero Strategy - providing a comprehensive and systematic roadmap for reducing emissions at the national level - was developed through an extensive participatory process involving all sectors, bringing together more than 300 experts and specialists through 14 specialised workshops with the participation of government and private sector entities.

The updated strategy was developed through three precise and integrated phases. The first phase focused on assessing the business-as-usual pathway, during which projected sectoral emissions growth through 2050 was identified in coordination with stakeholders, while establishing a robust scientific foundation for source-based emissions accounting using a bottom-up methodology.

This phase revealed that total greenhouse gas emissions reached approximately 94 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024 and are projected to rise to 127 million tonnes by 2050 in the absence of intervention. The oil and gas, transport, and electricity sectors remain the largest contributors, collectively accounting for nearly 70% of total national emissions.

The second phase focused on developing an emissions reduction roadmap based on the Marginal Abatement Cost Curve methodology, which categorizes available technological solutions across three progressive levels:

• Level One: Low-cost technologies, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and public transportation.

• Level Two: Medium-cost solutions, such as carbon capture technologies and the use of hydrogen.

• Level Three: More ambitious technologies, including full electrification and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The pathway selected was designed to align with the Sultanate of Oman’s financial and economic context and is expected to contribute to GDP growth, create employment opportunities across the energy, transport, and green industries sectors, and strengthen Oman’s competitiveness amid evolving international trade requirements, particularly the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

The strategy targets a 33% reduction in emissions compared to the 2024 baseline year, including a 7% mandatory target and a 26% voluntary target linked to securing the necessary financing, technologies, and national capacity-building requirements, while aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The third phase focused on identifying the key enablers required to support implementation, including legislative, regulatory, and financial mechanisms.

The approval by the Council of Ministers of the regulatory framework for carbon markets represents one of the most important enablers supporting the achievement of the strategy’s targets. The framework is expected to facilitate the attraction of the technologies and financing required to implement emissions reduction projects, while strengthening the Sultanate of Oman’s presence in regional and global carbon markets.

This direction is further reinforced by the launch of the National Carbon Registry through the “Meezan” platform, which provides an advanced digital infrastructure for tracking carbon credits and managing issuance, transfer, and trading processes in line with the highest standards of transparency and international compliance, while ensuring the prevention of double counting.

The carbon market aims to achieve several strategic objectives, most notably the establishment of a transparent national framework for registering carbon projects and licensing carbon credits in accordance with international standards, transforming emissions reduction efforts into tradable carbon credits, and attracting international capital into seven strategic sectors. It also seeks to reinforce the Sultanate of Oman’s position as a trusted supplier of high-integrity carbon credits.

In addition, the market is expected to create promising opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and generate specialized jobs across verification, certification, consultancy, clean technologies, and legal and financial services.

This integrated framework reflects the Sultanate of Oman’s firm commitment to advancing sustainability through governance, transparency, and alignment with international standards, in support of sustainable development goals and Oman Vision 2040 objectives.

2026 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).