May 2023
Sustainable Insights
How Dubai is fulfilling its promise to be the best city in the future by 2050
“Dubai will never settle for anything less than first place.” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The 1950s ushered in an era of boom when oil was discovered in the deserts of the UAE, leading to an unprecedented economic boom. But along with it came environmental hazards, and in less than 60 years, the UAE was declared the country with the highest greenhouse footprint owing to its development activitiesand inefficient buildings. Nonetheless, its economic powerhouse, Dubai, is coming to terms with the fact that the future needs to be green, and Dubai hopes to be the world’s most sustainable city by 2050.
Planned investments of USD 163 billion over the next few decades will aim to reorganize Dubai to attend to its energy, water, and construction needs in a sustainable way. The following initiatives will pave the way for the emirate to create the model city of the future.
DEWA Leads The Way
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has outlined a series of initiatives to help Dubai achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, including the largest solar park in the world.
As a first step, it has stopped launching projects that rely on fossil fuels, with the intention for all desalination capacity in the future to be based on renewable energy, according to reports.
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is expected to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050. This is the largest single-site solar park in the world and is fuelling about 14% of Dewa’s total power production capacity right now. By 2030, it will have a production capacity of 5,000 megawatts, using photovoltaic solar panels and concentrated solar power technologies. Dewa is also working on a 250 megawatt pump-storage hydroelectric power plant that would be the first of its kind in the GCC region, using water stored in the Hatta dam.
The Road To Net-Zero
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, has set out plans to make public transport in the emirate emission-free by 2050. An ambitious roadmap for the future will focus on eliminating eight million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, making savings equal to Dh3 billion ($816.8 million).
The eco-friendly initiative is in line with Dubai’s push to become a global model for sustainability and green transformation. Under the initiative, the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will accelerate the adoption of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles in its fleet of buses, school transport, taxis, and limousines.
It is part of an integrated strategy to contribute to adapting to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The RTA will also rehabilitate the infrastructure and expand the use of clean energy to encompass buildings and facilities, in addition to recycling waste.
“Establishing Dubai as a global model of sustainability and green transition requires us to work collectively. We are committed to continuing the implementation of green initiatives with positive environmental impact to reduce climate change,” said Sheikh Hamdan. He added: “Dubai has become a global model of sustainability, and we look forward to welcoming the world at COP28 at Expo City Dubai.”
Expo City Dubai
Sustainability in all its perspectives was embedded across every area of Expo 2020 Dubai, which was awarded a range of global certifications, including LEED, CEEQUAL, ISO, the Gender Equality European and International Standard, and the International Board of Sensory Accessibility. This unwavering commitment continues, with all programs, guidelines, and plans being implemented by and adapted to Expo City Dubai and factored into its hosting of COP28 in November 2023, as well as its growth strategy and carbon neutrality aspirations. All efforts are aligned with Dubai and the UAE’s strategic plans and initiatives, including the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and UAE Net Zero by 2050, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.
In March this year, Expo City Dubai launched the first phase of Expo Valley and Expo Central, its new residential developments that build on the exceptional standards of Expo 2020 Dubai to redefine urban living within a smart, sustainable, people-centric city of the future.
The projects cater to varying lifestyles and preferences and are designed to meet the highest levels of sustainability, providing environmentally friendly homes that enhance residents’ wellbeing, building on the World Expo’s sustainability credentials, and supporting Expo City Dubai’s wider carbon neutrality goals and the UAE’s net zero targets.
Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050
The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 is not only ambitious but also a green energy program that aims to make Dubai capable of fulfilling 75% of its energy demands from clean energy sources by 2050. In fact, the strategy lays out a complete roadmap for its clean energy goal. This goes so far as to meet:
- 7% of the total energy need will come from clean sources by 2020,
- 25% by 2030, and
- 75% by 2050.
UAE Net-Zero Charter 2050
Started back in November 2015, it has the goal of setting Dubai as an example of sustainability for the whole world and the upcoming generations. Aligning itself with the visions of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030, the strategy demands that we adopt the latest technologies and innovations to tackle climate change due to global warming and its effects. For that, the UAE has allocated a budget of AED 600 billion to accomplish the project by 2050.
The landmark UAE Government’s Net Zero 2050 Charter was signed in the presence of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The UAE Government’s Net Zero 2050 Charter aims to enable the objectives of the National Net Zero by 2050 pathway, launched at the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in line with the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategic initiative, according to a report published by the Dubai Media Office.
Dubai Future Foundation
The Dubai Future Foundation, an initiative by Sheikh Mohammed, launches under five strategic areas of focus that collectively help move Dubai towards becoming the leading city of the future.
In February this year, DFF signed an agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to launch the region’s first-ever Senseable City Lab, a global MIT initiative that researches and tests pilot projects for planning urbanization and the rapid growth of cities. Senseable City Lab conducts interdisciplinary research in Singapore, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Lagos, and now Dubai, where it will play a crucial role in addressing the challenges faced by cities in a fast-changing world. While cities occupy only 3% of the Earth’s land, they consume 70% of energy sources and account for 80% of CO2 emissions. To address this urgent and unsustainable imbalance, the lab aims to find innovative solutions to make cities more resilient and efficient.
COP28 UAE
The UAE’s position as the host for COP28 reflects the government’s efforts to transform the economy into one that is fueled by clean and renewable energy sources along with technological advancements and climate-smart solutions. The conference will primarily focus on the economic case for inclusive climate action. According to the UAE, it’s a privilege to get a chance to host COP28, and it certainly comes as a recognition of the country’s environment-friendly steps taken for over three decades.
The UAE has been committed to battling climate change since 1989, the same year it ratified the Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer. After this, it became a member of the UNFCCC in 1995 and also ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2005.
The Emirates is today the GCC’s most proactive nation on climate action. It was the first in the region to set a 2050 net zero goal. And at COP27, it became the first to announce absolute emission cuts. The UAE has pitched COP28 as a moment to find “realistic, practical, and pragmatic solutions to accelerate the global energy transition”.
The Way Forward
Dubai has made significant strides in realizing its sustainable targets. Right from Dubai announcing several sustainable developments to sustainability being at the heart of Expo 2020 plans, the UAE is making conscious efforts towards moving to a more sustainable future. Some highly innovative sustainable developments in the emirate are helping the country reduce its carbon footprint and become a pioneer in the region. Real estate, waste recycling, transportation, tourism – everything is undergoing massive change as we write and speak about it. COP28 is of particular significance as it marks the conclusion of the first global stocktake, a comprehensive assessment of the progress made in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Acknowledging that the world is off track, COP28 President-Designate HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber has said he will work to keep the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal alive and ensure that the world responds to the stocktake with a clear plan of action, including measures that need to be put in place to bridge the gaps in progress.
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