Cop: Dubai sets target to halve CO2 emissions by 2030

The UAE's city of Dubai — host of the UN Cop 28 climate conference — has set a new target to cut its carbon emissions in half by the end of this decade. The Dubai government's previous goal was for a 30pc reduction by 2030.

The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy unveiled the 50pc target on 8 December as the second week of the Cop 28 conference got underway. It "reflects the emirate's full commitment to a sustainable future locally and globally", said secretary-general of the executive council of Dubai Abdullah Al Basti.

Dubai is the first city in the Middle East and north Africa region to set such a target. It already has a goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, in line with the UAE's national target. The UAE announced in July that it plans to cut emissions by 40pc by 2030 from a business-as-usual level.

By Bachar Halabi