The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has partnered with the French-headquartered International Energy Agency (IEA) to accelerate clean energy transition and climate action through advanced policy action and low-emission technologies, both in Abu Dhabi and globally.
The agreement, which was signed at the UAE House of Sustainability Pavilion in the COP28 UAE Green Zone, demonstrates DoE’s commitment to driving regional and global cooperation to shape a low-emission economy in Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
Signing this partnership agreement with the IEA at COP28 UAE demonstrates the DoE’s support for the UAE to unite the world in collective climate action. The agreement also highlights the importance of global collaboration in charting decarbonisation pathways and sustainable energy policies that will drive renewable energy efficiency and low-emission technologies.
The DoE and IEA will collaborate on ambitious low-emission power generation targets (including nuclear power and renewables), reducing CO2 emissions, implementing an energy and water efficiency policy, and sustaining a cost-competitive electricity and water supply. In parallel, the DoE and IEA will work to balance the three imperatives of energy security, affordability and sustainability, in both the supply and demand side.
Outcomes from this agreement will support Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, UAE Vision 2050 as well as the UAE’s Nationally Determined Contribution and Net Zero by 2050 target in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement.
His Excellency Engineer Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of DoE, said: “This agreement will take us a step closer to our ambitions to lead a clean energy future that has global climate impact. The UAE was the first country in the region to commit to a Net Zero by 2050 goal. The Department of Energy is committed to supporting this goal and creating a renewable energy future in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. We have already outlined our Clean Energy Targets that will see us adopt 60 per cent clean electricity by 2035. We have also recently released our Abu Dhabi Energy Outlook 2050, which gives us pathways and scenarios to achieving our net zero goals. One of the pathways calls for a technological paradigm shift and to adopt all technological innovations, setting a new benchmark for a clean energy transition. By collaborating with the IEA, we will be able to advance our efforts to shape a low-emission Abu Dhabi for all.”
The new agreement outlines a cooperative plan to assess the rapidly evolving global energy market and determine more adaptive and sustainable energy policies and regulations. Specific areas of interest covered in the agreement include market design, liberalisation, and transition, energy efficiency and demand response; and various technological perspectives, such as the rising efficiency of green hydrogen production and storage methods.
These efforts will help shape energy policy and regulatory frameworks to support stakeholders, drive innovation and deliver on Abu Dhabi's vision to become a global hub for sustainable energy development.
Mary Warlick, Deputy Executive Director of IEA, said: “The steps Abu Dhabi has taken so far to decarbonise its power sector are encouraging. The emirate’s development of low-emissions energy solutions has accelerated in recent years, driving progress towards its climate goals while increasing its overall economic competitiveness. The IEA is ready to support Abu Dhabi in its important contribution to the United Arab Emirates’ crucial journey to net zero.”
