Updated Nationally Determined Contribution

Pursuant to its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (“NDC”) under the Paris Agreement, the UAE has committed to achieving a 47% reduction in GHG emissions by 2035, compared to the 2019 levels of 196.3 MtCO2e, thereby reducing the anticipated emissions to 103.5 MtCO2e. The NDC covers the following GHGs: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases.

In relation to reduction in methane emissions, the NDC notes the following initiatives undertaken by the UAE:

• In 1978, Law No. 8 was passed in the UAE to regulate oil and gas operations, which banned routine flaring and prevented air and water pollution. 
• In 2023, at COP28, the UAE co-hosted with US and China the first Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs Summit to raise the profile of these gases. 
• In 2023, at COP28, the UAE along with other partners launched the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter, which sets out the ambition of net zero operations by 2050, including by eliminating routine flaring and achieving near zero upstream methane emissions by 2030, as well as improving emissions transparency through measurement and reporting.
• In 2022 and 2023, the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (“ADNOC”) was awarded the OGMP 2.0 Gold Standard Pathway status for its methane emissions abatement efforts and plans. 
• ADNOC has set an ambition to achieve net zero by 2045 and reduce its carbon intensity by 25% by 2030, including through zero routine flaring and reductions in methane emissions.
• The International Holding Company of the UAE has announced the establishment of a climate company, Smart Sustainability Solutions (S3) to deploy industrial scale decarbonization and circular economy solutions in energy infrastructure. S3 would operate across four business verticals: Methane, Carbon, Circularity, and Water.

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