At a time when the global energy supply-demand dynamics are leaving leaders baffled for answers, the UAE and World Energy Council recently met to address the issue head on.

Yousef Al Ali, assistant under-secretary for the Electricity, Water and Future Energy Sector at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and Dr. Angela Wilkinson, secretary-general and CEO of the London-based World Energy Council, together discussed ways to enhance joint cooperation in the field of energy and initiatives and plans to be adopted by the UAE National Committee to support the World Energy Council system, as well as a number of issues of common interest.

The UAE has acknowledged the role of the World Energy Council in deploying and applying the concept of energy for humanity, which aims to design and implement initiatives to serve humans and society with its three pillars: energy security, energy sustainability and energy affordability.

Dr. Wilkinson commended the UAE's leading role in the fields of global energy transition and security and its pioneering initiatives in the field of clean and renewable energy.

The UAE launched its “Energy Strategy 2050” in 2017, 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% to 50% by 2050 and reduce the carbon footprint of power generation by 70%, saving AED 700 billion by 2050. It also seeks to increase the consumption efficiency of individuals and corporates by 40%.

To meet the UAE’s economic requirements and environmental goals, the strategy targets an energy mix combining renewable, nuclear and clean energy sources as follows:

• 44% clean energy
• 38% gas
• 12% clean coal
• 6% nuclear.

The UAE government aims to invest AED 600 billion by 2050 to meet the growing energy demand and ensure sustainable growth for the country’s economy.

In June, the UAE joined the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) as a pioneer in the field of energy. IPHE is an international governmental partnership aimed at facilitating and accelerating the transition to clean and efficient energy and mobility systems using hydrogen and fuel cell technologies across applications and sectors.

Additionally, since its inception in 2006, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar, has established itself as a global leader in the commercialization of clean technology by investing in renewable energy projects valued at more than $14.3 billion globally; developing a gross capacity of over 5 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy projects worldwide, either in operation or under development; and displacing up to 5.4 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

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