DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 07th Sep, 2021) On the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, held under the theme "Healthy Air, Healthy Planet", the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) launched the UAE greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant inventory monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system project.
As the UAE advances in addressing climate change and reducing air pollutant emissions while progressively ramping up climate ambition, the successful implementation of relevant policies calls for the establishment of a robust national MRV system. Covering key indicators related to GHG emissions, the comprehensive and effective system will support the tracking and achievement of domestic emissions targets, in addition to providing crucial information for the country to meet its reporting obligations under the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement.
Building on the UAE’s endeavours to develop national air pollutant emission inventories, the project will enable the ministry to produce the Roadmap for a Comprehensive National Climate and Air Quality MRV System that engages relevant Federal and local government stakeholders to facilitate a dialogue on the MRV system’s institutional set-up and data management procedures, and the roles of participating entities. It will involve a detailed assessment of current emissions data-related processes as well as relevant legal and institutional frameworks. It will also include an international benchmarking study to identify best practices that could apply to the country, a gap analysis, defining the ideal parameters of the MRV system and producing an action plan and roadmap for the future.
The sustainable system will bring together all pertinent data on one platform to produce transparent outputs. The well-functioning, accurate, and reliable system will guarantee quality through the planning, preparation, and management of inventory activities.
The main objective of the MRV system will be to ensure that the National Air Emissions Inventory remains a relevant tool for the public and private sector to monitor progress against GHG mitigation targets and to reduce air pollution.
At the launch event, organised in collaboration with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Aisha Al Abdooli, Acting Assistant Under-Secretary of the Green Development and Climate Change Sector at MoCCAE, said, "There are domestic imperatives to develop a robust MRV system, including the streamlining of efforts across GHG and air pollution, and the tracking of initiatives’ impact in terms of emission reductions, leading to healthy air that is key for a healthy planet."
Addressing the stakeholders, she added, "Stakeholder discussions and inputs will be critical to arrive at an understanding of the current status of MRV and the best way forward for the UAE on this vital topic. We very much appreciate your engagement with the project and the valuable contributions you will make to its success."
In 2015, 195 parties came together under the Paris Agreement to set the world on a course towards sustainable development to limit global warming to 2 C or preferably 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels. The agreement requests each country to outline and communicate its climate actions and highlight any requirements for international assistance in the format of a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). In December 2020, the UAE submitted its second NDC as one of only 11 parties. In the document, the nation has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 23.5 percent compared to business as usual for the year 2030. To track progress towards this target, the country periodically updates its GHG emissions inventory, accounting for emission sources and sinks.
Improving air quality is a priority for the UAE. It is an integral part of the UAE Green Agenda 2015 -2030 and one of the key performance indicators of the National Agenda of the UAE Vision 2021. In July 2017, MoCCAE initiated a project to develop the first national-level inventory for air pollutant emissions in the UAE. Launched in 2019, the inventory has played a key role in the preparation of the National Air Quality Strategy by identifying key pollutants and major polluting sectors and has enabled federal and local government entities to make informed decisions in terms of air quality.
