Accelerating The Shift: Decarbonizing Ground Mobility - NDCA Event Showcases UAE's Commitment to Low Carbon Transport
The recently concluded NDCA event, "Accelerating The Shift: Decarbonizing Ground Mobility," hosted by the Emirates Driving Authorities and MOCCAE (Ministry of Climate Change and Environment) in the UAE, served as a pivotal platform for driving meaningful discussions on reducing emissions in the rapidly growing transport sector. DNV, as a knowledge partner, played a key role in the event by showcasing essential findings from their latest research report, "Transport in Transition - ETO Report by DNV," and correlating it with the sustainable transport priorities outlined in the latest NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) published by MOCCAE.
The event commenced with compelling opening remarks by HE Mariam bint Mohamad Almheiri, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment. HE Mariam emphasized the global significance of the transport sector, which is currently the fastest-growing sector, and underscored the utmost importance of prioritizing emission reduction planning as a primary objective. Despite the growth in the sector, the UAE is fully committed to making necessary efforts to maintain and not exceed emissions absolute values. The ambitious goal of a 40% reduction by 2030 remains at the forefront of the UAE's environmental mission.
During the event, DNV moderated an insightful knowledge-sharing session featuring a presentation by Ali, Business Development Manager- Transportation at DNV. Ali presented the outcomes of the fuel-centric forecast report, which provides DNV's best estimates on the availability, costs, policy drivers, and likely uptake of electricity and low and zero carbon fuels in transportation over the next three decades.
The report revealed the current energy usage in the transport sector, where oil accounts for a significant 89%, with natural gas and biofuels following at 6% and 4%, respectively, and electricity at a mere 1%. However, the report also presented encouraging projections for the future. By 2050, electricity is estimated to represent almost a quarter of the transport sector's fuel mix, while oil usage is expected to almost halve. The share of biofuels is set to rise to 7% by 2030 and remain relatively constant until 2050. Additionally, pure hydrogen and hydrogen-based e-fuels are predicted to grow steadily, ultimately contributing to an overall share of 10% by 2050. DNV firmly believes that such insights will play a vital role in guiding the UAE's planning and goal-setting towards achieving Low Carbon Transport by 2030 and directing the availability of fuels in the coming years.
The event further witnessed DNV's involvement in a round table discussion titled "Financing the transition to a clean ground mobility," in collaboration with supporting partners such as Emirates Driving School, HSBC, NBD, Heinkel, CarbonSift, and NWTN. The discussion focused on attracting public and private investment to finance the transition towards sustainable ground mobility. Fruitful brainstorming resulted in three main ideas: raising awareness about different financial instruments to support the transition, encouraging public funds to back more challenging projects with slow returns on investment (such as rural area infrastructure), and collectively developing innovative micro business models that foster collaboration, partnership, and integration. DNV highlighted China's successful business model example, which led to its acceleration and leading position in EV and low carbon transportation on a global scale.
As part of the event, DNV extended heartfelt congratulations to MOCCAE for publishing the 2nd NDC, 3rd update, which demonstrates the UAE's continuous efforts in combating climate change. DNV also recognized companies that joined the "Responsible Companies Pledge," now comprising 105 signatories, including DNV itself.
In conclusion, "Accelerating The Shift: Decarbonizing Ground Mobility" was a landmark event that showcased the UAE's unwavering commitment to advancing low carbon vehicles, green integrated intermodal plans and public transport solutions. With the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, the UAE is poised to drive a cleaner and greener future for ground mobility, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change.
Read here how DNV can help you.