Earth Day serves as a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to safeguard the planet. This year’s theme, Our Power, Our Planet, underlines the strength we hold —individually and collectively — to drive meaningful change. From households to industries, we all have a role to play in shaping a more sustainable future. Now more than ever, we must take that responsibility seriously.
The UAE has made bold strides in driving global climate action. During its COP28 Presidency in 2023, the nation led a landmark multilateral response to the Global Stocktake, mobilising international efforts to keep the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal within reach.
The UAE Consensus, launched at COP28, calls for transitioning away from fossil fuels and sets ambitious targets to double energy efficiency and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. To ensure continuity, the UAE established the COP Presidencies Troika — an unprecedented alliance between the COP28, COP29, and COP30 Presidencies. This collaborative model marks a shift from isolated efforts to a cohesive, long-term strategy for decisive climate action.
Read: How 2025 will shape the future of development with sustainability, innovation, and community
The UAE’s commitment to innovation
The UAE is recognized globally for its bold vision and commitment to innovation. Rapid economic expansion and accelerated urbanisation have intensified demand for energy, water, and other vital resources — magnifying the urgency for sustainable resource management.
In many ways, the UAE reflects the environmental complexities faced by many countries today. As one of the most water-stressed nations globally, we confront acute water scarcity and high environmental costs linked to desalination. These pressures reinforce the urgency of the UAE Consensus, which sets out a framework for achieving balance between growth and environmental stewardship.
Utilities playing a vital role
Our nation is leveraging innovation to diversify its economy, placing sustainability at the centre of its progress. Utilities play a vital role in achieving this balance. Demand must be met without harming the environment, and renewable solutions must be deployed without compromising grid stability.
Successfully navigating the energy transition requires a shared sense of responsibility, as reflected in this year’s Earth Day theme. It is only by shifting behavior and conserving resources that we can create the circularity and resilience needed to address today’s challenges. The transition presents enormous economic opportunities — but only if we are all fully invested in the future.
Commitment to people and planet
At EtihadWE, our investments in technology and innovation go hand-in-hand with community engagement. Our support for the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative reflects our commitment to both people and planet. To meet growing demand in the Northern Emirates while advancing the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategy, we have invested significantly in cutting-edge desalination technologies that reduce energy use.
The flagship NAQA’A project — one of the world’s largest Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) plants — has a capacity of 150 MIGD. In parallel, smart grid technologies are improving efficiency and reducing waste. AMI Smart Meters, for instance, empower customers to monitor and optimize their water and energy consumption.
With collaboration at the core, national policies and incentives are creating a unified pathway forward. Government lays the foundation through clear regulatory frameworks, while Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and cross-sector collaboration open doors for innovation and knowledge sharing. At the same time, individuals must adopt sustainable lifestyles and make informed choices to drive meaningful change. Small actions, multiplied across society, have the power to accelerate progress.
Achieving the UAE’s ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and broader Paris Agreement goals requires an integrated approach across government, industry, academia and communities — all united under a shared vision. The UAE is enabling transformational shifts — through mechanisms such as carbon and water pricing, and energy-efficient building codes — that empower companies like ours to explore new pathways towards sustainability. Innovation underpins our roadmap to tackling water scarcity.
Through partnerships and joint initiatives, we are leveraging new technologies to drive efficiency and resilience. Last year, in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, we restructured the energy tariff for industrial and technology sector customers, supporting economic growth through cost incentives. Likewise, our Distributed Solar System initiative, developed with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, is enabling households to produce renewable energy at source.
The UAE leads the way
The UAE’s forward-looking approach proves that environmental responsibility and economic growth are not at odds — they are mutually reinforcing. As we mark Earth Day 2025, the UAE reaffirms its commitment to delivering on the UAE Consensus and leading the way towards a climate-resilient future that benefits both communities and ecosystems. This is our planet — and we all have the power to make a difference.
About the author
Engineer Yousif Al Ali is the CEO of Etihad Water & Electricity. With a career spanning over 20 years in the energy and petrochemical industries, Al Ali is also the chairman of Naqaa Desalination Plant. He has extensive and distinguished practical experience in the areas of investment, engineering, planning, and strategic project management.
Al Ali holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from IE Business School in Madrid, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from UAE University, in addition to being a certified professional in project management.
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