Welcome to Our Fifth Issue

WELCOME TO OUR FIFTH ISSUE

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, notably said, “We have to strike a balance of responsibility between our duty to update other sources of energy, protecting our environment, and ensuring a proper legacy for the next generation.”

The UAE has been pursuing this critical balance through its increasingly ambitious national strategies, commitments, and initiatives focused on economic diversification, integration of clean and renewable energy (RE), reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and environmental protection.

In 2010, the UAE Vision 2021 was announced with a goal of diverting 75% of municipal solid waste away from landfills by 2021, raising the air quality index to 90%, generating 27% of national energy requirements from clean energy sources, reducing per capita GHG emissions, and achieving an average oil consumption of 5 tons per person. In 2017, the UAE National Climate Change Plan was launched to prioritize the development of a national GHG emissions management system, national programs for adaptation to climate change, and an economic diversification program driven by the private sector. In the same year, the UAE Clean Energy Strategy 2050 was launched with the aim of increasing clean energy from 25% to 50% by 2050, reducing the carbon footprint of power generation by 70%, and boosting the energy efficiency of individuals and corporations by 40%. Last year, the UAE’s Nationally Determined Contribution to the United Nations set a goal of reducing GHG emissions by 23.5% by 2030, increasing installed clean power capacity to 14 gigawatts (GW), planting 30 million mangrove seedlings, and strengthening the climate resilience of priority sectors.

Achieving these unprecedented goals requires the pursuit of greater understanding, new technologies, and innovative systems, which is where the UAE’s higher education institutes come in. Academic research plays a critical role in developing technological innovations to support RE uptake, increasing our understanding of human impact on the environment, proposing solutions to preserve and grow critical natural resources like freshwater and coral reefs, and much more.

This issue of Innovation@UAE Magazine focuses on the contributions of the UAE’s academic research community toward the UAE’s sustainability-focused goals. We have shared three recently published research projects and two high-impact researchers affiliated with UAE-based universities that relate to the UAE’s RE integration and environmental preservation. We have also featured a Capstone Project from UAE high school students that seeks to reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions.

We hope these projects inspire our readers to examine their own contributions toward striking the balance needed to update energy sources, protect the UAE’s environment, stimulate further academic research, and achieve a brighter future for all.

His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Al-Mualla

Undersecretary for Academic Affairs Ministry of Education