Introduction
Oil and gas were discovered in the UAE more than five decades ago and have played a key role in the fossil fuel energy market. The two hydrocarbons have dominated the economy of the UAE as they are the drivers of the country’s growth. This has made the UAE among the leading countries in producing fossil fuel energy. The UAE produces approximately 3.2 million of petroleum in a day (Energy Resource Guide, 2022). Hydrocarbon is significant in building the country’s GDP, contributing about 30% of the total GDP (Energy Resource Guide, 2022). This portrays the significance of fossil fuel energy in the economy of the UAE. The exportation of this type of energy represents 13% of the overall exports made by the UAE (Energy Resource Guide, 2022). The government heavily relies on oil and gas energy as it makes a significant part of the country’s revenue.
Energy Consumption In the UAE
Despite the UAE being among the leading countries in GDP and wealth. The country is over-dependent on fossil energy, making them among the top users with high per capita energy consumption globally. Most of the domestic energy demands within the UAE are met by natural gas, whose usage is approximately 61% (Oil & Gas in the UAE, 2022). The remaining energy needs are mostly fulfilled by crude oil. In 2017, the UAE consumed a total of 108.7 million tons of oil which was composed of 62.1 tons of natural gas and 45 tons of crude oil (Oil & Gas in the UAE, 2022).
The research conducted by the BP Statistical Review of World Energy shows that in 2021, the UAE consumed 4.53 exajoules which was composed of 1.1% renewable energy sources, 1.5% coal, 2.2% nuclear energy, 39.7% oil, and 55.2% natural gas (Energy industry in the United Arab Emirates, 2022). The above data shows that despite the country having other clean energy sources, they mainly rely on non-renewable sources such as oil and gas, which have a detrimental effect on the environment.
Carbon Footprint
The UAE is developing quickly because of its non-renewable energy sources that are valuable to most economies. However, being the top consumers of fossil energy, they experience human development at the expense of their ecological footprint. Carbon dioxide forms a significant part of the greenhouse gases, leading to climatic changes due to global warming (Tiseo, 2021). More carbon dioxide is released when burning fossil fuels compared to other sources of greenhouse gases. In 2020, the UAE alone, the combustion of fossil fuels resulted in the production of 203 million tons of carbon dioxide. This figure represents a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions consecutively in three years. Although in 2020, there was a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, it still represents a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions. This makes the country have a high per capita carbon dioxide emission, with approximately 15 tons per the UAE citizen (AL-Dabbagh, 2018). This has made the UAE have energy transition goals such as a net zero target to ensure environmental sustainability.
Climate change Issue
In 1992, the United Nations perceived climate change as a threat to environmental sustainability. It was an international problem that had several drawbacks all over the world. Since the conference, the focus has been placed on steps that will help mitigate such effects (Samara et al., 2022). Programs such as Kyoto Protocol were developed in 1997, which focused on reducing the levels of carbon emissions in the atmosphere by portraying the effect of energy types that produce carbon. Some of the highlighted issues include climate change which is geared by the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere because of the combustion of fossil fuels (Samara et al., 2022). The protocol brings about the need for a carbon footprint so that the countries can monitor the amount of carbon dioxide released through commercial, domestic, and industrial use of fossil fuels. Despite these measures, the carbon footprint of the UAE has reached significant levels, bringing the need for preventive measures.
Technology Advancement
Clean and renewable energy use can decarbonize the UAE’s energy mix. The country is situated in an area that receives optimum sunlight paving the way for solar technology. The country is investing in solar projects such as photovoltaics (PV). This project is designed in a concentrated solar plant leading to the production of clean energy which can be stored for future use, unlike traditional PV (Alhammami and An, 2021). In Abu Dhabi, the government of the UAE has plans to expand the PV projects to enable it to produce a capacity that ranges from 18GW to 30 GW (Ramachandran, Mourad and Hamed, 2022). Although the project has not yet been completed, it is among the plans to ensure environmental sustainability. The current operational project on renewable energy in the UAE is a 4GW clean energy power scheme located in Abu Dhabi. Other projects on solar energy are still ongoing to enable the country to meet the demand for clean energy.
There is extensive research that is currently taking place all over the world to come up with resources that will help in the production of clean ammonia and hydrogen. More than 70 Megatons of hydrogen are produced globally by various companies and are majorly used in manufacturing fertilizers. The forecasting of hydrogen production shows that it is expected to rise by 15 or more by 2030 (Engineering Net Zero, 2022). Green hydrogen is also expected to increase to 10 megatons, accounting for 10 % of the overall hydrogen production (Engineering Net Zero, 2022). This project is sustainable since it is conservative about the environment.
Recent statistics show that the green hydrogen produced is around 25 mega tons which are expected to exceed the 2030 projection. This creates significant competition in hydrogen production, considering that countries such as France, the United States of America, and Australia are already working on mega projects that are anticipated to be completed before 2030 (Energy Resource Guide, 2022). The UAE has identified an opportunity to invest in hydrogen, clean energy compared to fossil fuels. The country is investing in several production plants to ensure they can meet clean energy targets (Tarhan and Çil, 2021). The hydrogen produced is useful in reducing the greenhouse effect when used as fuel.
Furthermore, a new energy source will be created which is environmentally friendly hence diversifying the economy from the use of hydrocarbons. The value of green hydrogen is forecasted to be $700 billion, enabling the UAE to collect significant revenue from its sale in a sustainable environment (Engineering Net Zero, 2022). The UAE has a place of significant attention on green hydrogen than blue hydrogen. This is because blue hydrogen tends to have traces of carbon which increases its carbon footprint (Brandon and Kurban, 2017). Currently, the UAE has a target of 25% market share in green hydrogen.
Nuclear energy provides the UAE with an opportunity to meet its energy requirement without deteriorating the environment. In 2012, the UAE began its construction of a four-unit nuclear power plant (Nuclear Power United Arab Emirates, 2022). Units 1 and 2 are operational, while 3 and 4 are still under construction and expected to be completed soon. Every reactor produces 1.4GW, and completion of the four-unit will enable the country to cater to 24% of its energy needs. Despite the project being expensive, the plant is long-term, with an approximate operation period of 80 years (barakah-plant, 2022). Additionally, the UAE has a chance to review its nuclear technology and invest in research and design to come up with advanced reactors which can be used directly to generate electricity. Nuclear technology is long-term clean energy that has not been fully exploited by most countries. This makes it unique in the creation of a sustainable environment.
Social Advancement
Apart from technological advancement, the UAE is also making social advancements in promoting clean energy. The government uses awareness methods where the youths are engaged in climate issues (Assali, Khatib and Najjar, 2019). For example, in 2018, the government created the Emirates Youth Climate Strategy, where the youths are involved in programs that help solve climate change, enabling them to participate actively in climate action (UNFCCC, 2022). The youths are involved in events that promote environmental sustainability, such as clean energy, which are organized periodically. A program such as Masdar Youth for Sustainability Platform encourages the youth to be active environmental leaders through engagement opportunities and mentorship programs. Furthermore, the youths that have graduated from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority are carbon ambassador who focuses on the management of natural resources and sustainable energy (UNFCCC, 2022). Women are also included in climate governance and decision making hence promoting the energy community. Programs such as Mubadala’s Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) facilitate women’s progress in environmental sustainability through training.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The government of the UAE should focus more on strategies that promote clean energy since it is less utilized. This will promote environmental sustainability since the UAE has optimum access to solar energy. Furthermore, the government should use incentives to promote the use of clean energy. This will make consumers shift their attention from non-renewable sources to renewable ones. It should also implement carbon footprint targets into administrative laws to strengthen commitment towards clean energy.
References
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