UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment launches climate action ‘pledge’ for private sector

More than 21 companies across key sectors, such as cement, aluminium and steel, have joined the ‘UAE Climate-Responsible Companies Pledge’ launched by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE).

The pledge aims to increase the engagement of the private sector in the country’s decarbonisation drive, in line with the UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative.

Companies who joined the pledge included Beeah, Emerson, Emirates Nature-WWF (World Wildlife Fund), Majid Al Futtaim Group, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC, Masdar, Emirates Global Aluminium, Emirates Steel Arkan Group, Aldar Properties, Emirates Environmental Group, Strata, Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), Chalhoub Group, Pure Harvest, AESG, Taka Solutions, Lafarge Emirates Cement, EY, EV Lab and TotalEnergies.

According to the state news agency, WAM, the pledge forms the basis of future collaborations between the private sector, non-governmental organisations and international organisations, including Emirates Nature, in association with WWF, a strategic implementation partner of the pledge, to support the private sector entities in implementing their net-zero plans.

The launch took place as part of the fourth stage of the National Dialogue for Climate Ambition (NDCA), a series of sector-specific assemblies aimed at establishing a national sustainability culture and highlighting the country’s efforts to achieve climate neutrality.

MoCCAE launches UAE Climate-Responsible Companies Pledge#WamNews https://t.co/v2O83XqxkK pic.twitter.com/mIjuB74sto

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) August 29, 2022

The companies have committed to intensifying their collective efforts to combat climate change, by measuring and reporting their greenhouse gas emissions in a transparent manner, drafting ambitious science-based plans to reduce their carbon footprint, and sharing these plans with the UAE Government to help achieve the national net-zero target by 2050.

The signatories also pledged to consider climate change mitigation and adaptation in their business and operational models, as well as adopt an all-inclusive approach that engages the youth, women and vulnerable segments of society in drafting their net-zero plans.

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, said, “We are pleased to introduce the UAE Climate-Responsible Companies Pledge, and there is no better place to do this than at NDCA, where we build rapport with all sectors to support their climate ambitions and turn them into active partners in our net-zero drive. The pledge will help us, the UAE government, to engage with entities that are keen to make an active contribution to our climate neutrality movement, and align their efforts to achieve our common objective.”