Urgent climate action is needed now. Through diplomacy, policymaking and investment, the UAE is driving a just energy transition. Working with US and international partners, we are building a sustainable future that will diversify the economy, create jobs and protect the planet.
In November 2023, the UAE hosted 198 countries at the 28th UN Climate Conference of the Parties (COP28 UAE). Negotiators produced the UAE Consensus, a historic agreement to transition away from fossil fuels. Learn more.
The success of COP28 builds on the UAE’s track record of climate action. The UAE was the first country in the Middle East to:
- Sign and ratify the Paris Agreement,
- Commit to an economy-wide reduction in emissions and
- Announce an initiative to achieve net zero by 2050.
In July 2023, the UAE updated its third nationally determined contribution (NDC), aiming to curb carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030, up from its previous 31 percent target.
Explore the Embassy’s website to learn about the UAE’s climate leadership across the following areas.
- The UAE brought together world leaders at COP28 to take unprecedented action.
- Through global partnerships, the UAE is mobilizing multilateral climate cooperation.
- At home, the UAE is undergoing a rapid transition to clean energy.
- Partnership with the United States is central to the UAE’s climate response.
The UAE convened the global community to fight climate change as the host of the 28th UN Climate Conference of the Parties (COP28 UAE) at Dubai Expo City in November 2023.
The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative
The UAE and its neighbors in the MENA region are among the most water-stressed nations on earth. Because of climate change, population growth and economic development, the problem of water scarcity is also accelerating in many other parts of the world.
Through the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative, the UAE has invested $150 million in the American XPrize Foundation to fund the XPrize Water Scarcity competition. The first of its kind, the contest will bring together competing teams to develop technologies that can responsibly expand access to clean water through sustainable and affordable seawater desalination solutions.
This effort builds on a 2023 UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs report, “Ripple Effect: Water Scarcity – The hidden threat to global security and prosperity,” which highlights the causes, implications, and potential solutions to this growing issue.
“Increasing water scarcity is a growing threat to global security and prosperity that demands a decisive and coordinated response from the international community. The establishment of XPRIZE Water Scarcity is consistent with the ambition of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative to raise the importance of water scarcity on the global agenda and to help accelerate the development and deployment of transformative new solutions to this urgent challenge.”
- HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative
