Industry figures talked a good game about slashing the UAE’s carbon footprint during last week’s World Energy Congress (WEC) in Abu Dhabi. And indeed progress has been made, with subsidies on fuels, electricity and water cut in recent years and the startup of the 1.18GW Noor solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Abu Dhabi in June (MEES, 5 July). But the country is starting from a low base and much more is required.

The UAE is the third highest consumer of energy on a per capita basis behind only Qatar and Singapore. While consumption has dipped from its 2016 peak according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy, it crept up again in 2018. (CONTINUED - 1467 WORDS)