Gulf's net-zero goals will help create sustainable future, says Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed

UAE will work with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other nations to achieve carbon neutrality ambitions

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said Saudi Arabia and Bahrain's 2060 targets on carbon neutrality are a significant boost to addressing climate change. Rashed Al Mansoori / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

The UAE will work with its Gulf neighbours and other nations to achieve net-zero goals, says Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces said the Emirates "stands ready" to support others as they pursue carbon neutrality.

The goals set out by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in recent days and the UAE earlier this month will require a significant reduction in carbon emissions that warm the planet.

"The net-zero goals announced by the kingdoms of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain provide a significant boost to regional efforts to address climate change," Sheikh Mohamed wrote on Twitter.

"The UAE stands ready to work with its regional neighbours and countries around the world to create a more sustainable future for all."

As leading oil producers, the UAE's 2050 initiative and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain's 2060 net-zero strategic goals are some of the most ambitious to date.

The US, the EU, China, Japan, South Korea and the UK have all committed to net-zero targets by between 2050 and 2060. Collectively, they comprise more than 50 per cent of global emissions.

Delegations from the Middle East, plus US climate envoy John Kerry, met in Riyadh on Monday to discuss the region’s environment, and strategies to cut emissions and meet the impact of climate change.

The news comes days before world leaders travel to the UK for the Cop26 UN Climate Conference to discuss action towards the Paris Climate Agreement.

Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday it will follow a framework for managing and reducing emissions known as the “circular carbon economy approach".

The closed-loop system involves reducing, reusing, recycling and removing carbon from the environment.

Riyadh said it also plans to more than double its target of reducing annual carbon emissions to 278 million tonnes by 2030. This compares to a previous target of 130m tonnes.

What is net zero?

Net zero can be achieved by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal, or by eliminating emissions.

Reaching net-zero emissions is also variously known as carbon neutrality or becoming climate neutral. This particular climate goal is critical to curbing global warming under the Paris Agreement signed in 2015.

The agreement calls for countries to cap the warming of the planet at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, while at the same time reaching net zero emissions by 2050.