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His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai , chaired the UAE Cabinet meeting at Expo City Dubai, in conjunction with COP28. The meeting witnessed the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance; and H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said, “I chaired the Cabinet meeting at the Expo City Dubai, in conjunction with COP28. We reviewed the outcomes of the national efforts for sustainability and climate change. More than 120 decisions on sustainability and climate change and developing our natural resources issued within 5 years.”

His Highness added, “In 2023, we issued more than 60 policies, initiatives and decisions to promote the UAE’s efforts to combat climate change and its impact.”

He noted, “The UAE ranked second globally in the Energy Transition pillar of the Green Future Index (GFI) 2023; the 6th highest per capita consumer of solar energy in the world. It invested more than US$50 billion in renewable energy projects in 70 countries and has also committed an additional investment of $50 billion over the next decade.”

Sheikh Mohammed further added, “We approved 10 new initiatives and decisions to achieve our national objectives on the environment, including the framework of the National Biodiversity Strategy 2031 which aims to protect, monitor and develop ecosystems and local species, as well as raising the efficiency of our national cadres in this field. We also approved a global initiative to decarbonise waste; the national carbon credits registration system which enables government and private institutions to assess and document their contributions to reducing carbon emissions with government certificates.”

His Highness added, “Also, we approved the UAE’s 5th National Communication Report and approved its submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); the first report on the achievements of the low-carbon development strategy and long-term emission reduction, in addition to approving the establishment of the UAE Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Company; the Guideline on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the UAE and the National Guide for Smart Construction.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid concluded, “The UAE has made significant strides in climate action and continues its efforts towards sustainability… Our efforts in this field are aligned with our commitment to economic development.”