Abu Dhabi is tackling the consequences of conspicuous consumption
UAE embraces waste-to-energy
Aspirations to mitigate the federation’s throwaway culture are belatedly being turned into reality
A wealthy population combined with a weak tradition of environmental awareness has put the UAE’s per capita rates of solid waste generation well above the global average. A vast oil endowment has similarly engendered profligate fossil fuel use, and hence carbon emissions more than four times the world mean, from its population of only 9.5mn. However, for nearly a decade, the federation has also been in the regional vanguard of a belated conversion to renewables—envisaged as accounting for 44pc of the energy mix by mid-century. Meanwhile, it committed in 2018 to diverting 75pc of its solid waste away from landfill, albeit at a now-unattainable target date of this year. The contract was
Also in this section
12 March 2026
Role of world’s largest carbon cap-and-trade market under scrutiny as war in Iran threatens to drive EU energy costs to unsustainable levels
10 March 2026
Europe urgently needs to bring more projects to FID, as CCS investors warn they might divert capital to faster-growing regions
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
