This undated file photo shows Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE special envoy for climate change and minister of industry and advanced technology. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

As the United Arab Emirates’ energy transition gathers pace ahead of it hosting the United Nations climate conference next year, it is eyeing key climate partners like China to help it sustain the momentum, its climate change special envoy said.

Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE special envoy for climate change and minister of industry and advanced technology, said that the UAE was seeing “record growth in renewables”, representing over 80 percent of all new power-generating capacity last year. 

I see many more opportunities for collaboration with China as we continue to build and adapt to clean energy solutions. We are constantly looking to the future and have allocated more than US$1.5 billion in grants and low-interest loans for renewable energy innovation in more than 40 countries.

Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE special envoy for climate change and minister of industry and advanced technology

However, he said, a transformative and pragmatic global energy transition is needed to deliver climate action, and while wind and solar accounted for the vast majority of all new power-generating capacity in 2021, this still only comprises 4 percent of today’s energy mix. 

“As the world’s energy needs grow ever larger, maintaining global energy security will require oil and gas to remain a significant part of the mix for decades to come,” said Al Jaber.

ALSO READ: Sea rice trials successful in Dubai

He said a successful energy transition must progress economic and climate action in tandem. As part of this, “we know we must do more now” to reduce the impact of oil and gas on the climate, adding that in the medium term, the UAE plans to increase its renewables portfolio to 100 gigawatts by 2030.

“I see many more opportunities for collaboration with China as we continue to build and adapt to clean energy solutions. We are constantly looking to the future and have allocated more than US$1.5 billion in grants and low-interest loans for renewable energy innovation in more than 40 countries,” the climate change special envoy said. 

Like China, Al Jaber said, the UAE is also investing in clean energy projects globally, with over $50 billion across six continents, including in 27 climate-vulnerable island nations, which he said “is extremely important to us” and is one of the country’s key approaches for COP28 UAE in 2023.

In 2017, the UAE launched ‘Energy Strategy 2050’, which is considered the first unified energy strategy in the country that is based on supply and demand. 

The strategy aims to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25 per cent to 50 per cent by 2050 and reduce carbon footprint of power generation by 70 percent. 

ALSO READ: Industrial zone boosts China-UAE cooperation

It also seeks to increase the consumption efficiency of individuals and corporates by 40 percent, according to the UAE government website.

Al Jaber praised China’s focus on excellence across all aspects of the renewable energy supply chain, from research and development to materials, manufacturing and installation, which he said “sets the standard for other countries to follow”

Furthermore, the strategy targets an energy mix that combines renewables, nuclear and clean energy sources to meet the UAE’s economic requirements and environmental goals which  are 44 percent clean energy, 38 percent gas, 12 per cent clean coal and 6 percent nuclear.

According to Australian aggregator Compare the Market’s “Green Fuel Index”, the UAE ranked first among countries which have seen an increase in use of renewable energy. Their renewable capacity has grown by almost 20,000 percent, over the last decade. 

The UAE, it said, “has traditionally relied on its plentiful supplies of oil” but has recently made a big effort to shift away from fossil fuels, although just 7.2 percent of the country’s energy needs are met by renewable means.

ALSO READ: UAE says it has world's sixth-largest crude oil reserves

 Al Jaber praised China’s focus on excellence across all aspects of the renewable energy supply chain, from research and development to materials, manufacturing and installation, which he said “sets the standard for other countries to follow”.

Al Jaber said China’s leadership in technology “is also helping the world take advantage of the commercial opportunities of the energy transition”, citing a consortium of Chinese companies that are partnering with the UAE to develop and build Al Dhafra Solar Park, 35km south of Abu Dhabi

“Solar, in particular, is an example of where the government has encouraged growth with supporting policies – resulting in China’s leadership in both solar power generation and manufacturing. There is much to learn from this example,” said Al Jaber. 

Al Jaber said China’s leadership in technology “is also helping the world take advantage of the commercial opportunities of the energy transition”, citing a consortium of Chinese companies that are partnering with the UAE to develop and build Al Dhafra Solar Park, 35km south of Abu Dhabi. 

It will become one of the world’s largest solar plants delivering more than 2GW of clean energy, said Al Jaber.

He also said that China “is leading the world with respect to solar, in both manufacturing and supply chains”.  

The UAE, he said, has three of the world’s largest single-site solar plants. Noor Abu Dhabi Solar plant has 3.2 million solar panels and has been developed with expertise and investment from China’s clean tech company, Jinko Power.

READ MORE: Fresh ray of hope for solar firms

“As we prepare for COP28 UAE, there are many lessons we can draw on from China’s experience in practical, commercially viable clean tech development,” said Al Jaber. 

“We intend to take a similar, pragmatic approach that promotes an energy transition that is based on scientific, economic, and engineering facts, appreciates the multiple dilemmas and challenging trade-offs, and accelerates the deployment of practical solutions,” he added. 

COP28 in 2023 is the 28th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties. COP27 will be hosted by Egypt in November.

jan@chinadailyapac.com