Dubai cut carbon emissions by more than 14 million tons in 2019, a 22 percent reduction, reports say.
The findings came after an online meeting of the Supreme Energy Council of the emirate which reviewed progress on its integrated strategy for water resource management and carbon reduction.
The group which is led by chairman Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said that a green growth policy has resulted in a substantial drop in emissions over the last four years.
“Results achieved exceeded the targets set in the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy, which aims to reduce carbon emissions by 16 per cent by 2021,” said Saeed Al Tayer, vice chairman of the council and managing director and chief executive of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
Dubai’s water strategy aims to ensure resource sustainability, rationalize demand and use state-of-the-art technology to reduce consumption by 30% by 2030. The policy is compatible with the Clean Energy Program of the Emirates, which seeks to meet 75% of Dubai’s energy needs through clean sources by 2050.
Last year, according to DEWA, Dubai achieved overall savings of about $0.32 billion over the previous decade, thanks to its efforts to conserve electricity and water.
Between 2008 and 2018, combined savings of about 2 Terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity and 7.4 billion gallons of water were achieved.
Energy efficiency has become an important part of the region’s renewable energy policies, with the UAE one of the first countries to have set electricity and water savings goals.
