Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, has affirmed that the UAE Built Environment Sustainability Blueprint is a major stride in the path towards climate neutrality by 2050, as it outlines the country’s plans to implement leading practices and transform the building and construction sector.

Al Mubarak told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the UAE, as part of its ‘net zero by 2050’ target in the third update to its Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), is seeking to reduce its emissions by over 40 percent by 2030, with the building and construction sector expected to cut half of its emissions by 2030.

She noted that the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure are working on several initiatives and policies, such as reviewing building codes, expanding the scope of retrofits, and rolling out energy-efficient solutions to achieve these ambitious goals.

Al Mubarak said that the building and construction sector is at the nexus of both the challenge and solution of climate change, as it contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, noting that the International Energy Agency provides more than 40 percent of the solutions needed to boost energy intensity improvements, with the sector being essential to Paris Agreement commitments and the UAE’s climate neutrality target.