Abu Dhabi entities in initial pact to boost industrial sector sustainability

The initiative by Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and Ewec will reinforce the competitiveness of the emirate's energy sector

Ewec and Added will develop proposals to attract new investment for sustainable factories in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Ewec

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (Added) and the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) will promote the adoption of clean energy certificates across the industrial sector in a push to further develop the emirate’s circular economy.

The initial agreement, which is aimed at enhancing industrial sector sustainability, will help to reinforce the competitiveness of the emirate’s energy sector and its relationship with the privately held manufacturers, the two government bodies said on Wednesday.

“We continue to actively pursue partnerships and alliances with both public and private sector market players to ensure that Abu Dhabi’s smart and circular economy is on track to achieve its objectives and, in turn, the UAE’s sustainability goals are being met,” said Added Undersecretary Rashed Al Blooshi.

“Our initiatives serve to reinforce and continuously upgrade our economy’s attributes, as we work towards building an even stronger future one, based on environmental, social and corporate governance models and investments.”

Abu Dhabi has achieved “steady progress” and the latest partnership demonstrates the “extent of our diversification initiatives with our strategic ecosystem of partners”, he said.

Ewec will collaborate with Added through the Industrial Development Bureau, the market regulator, to develop solutions to support innovation in energy products.

The IDB has already unveiled several initiatives, alongside strategic partners, to drive industrial growth and strengthen the circular economy.

In addition to pushing for clean energy certificates, the IDB established the Electric Tariff Incentive Programme in 2019 to boost productivity through the efficient use of energy.

Added and Ewec said they would also jointly develop proposals to further improve the ecosystem and attract new investment for sustainable factories in the emirate, one of the main goals of the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy.

“The new strategic partnership with Added is a significant opportunity to enhance Abu Dhabi’s economic competitiveness with sustainability at its core,” Ewec chief executive Othman Al Ali said.

“Abu Dhabi’s [clean energy certificate] scheme has already shown the significant impact it can have in helping companies decarbonise their energy consumption and take tangible action on climate change.”