ABU DHABI, 28th May, 2025 (WAM) -- The UAE Alliance for Climate Action (UACA), the country's flagship non-state actor programme led by Emirates Nature-WWF and endorsed by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), convened senior leaders for its Third Advisory Committee meeting to review progress and set the direction for the programme's 2025 initiatives.

The meeting also marked the formal onboarding of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) to the Committee.

Chaired by Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Managing Director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the meeting reinforced the importance of collaborative action on climate.

"UACA mobilises non-state actors and fosters cross-sector dialogue to identify collective synergies and key levers to accelerate climate action," commented Al Mubarak. "Non-state actors, including private sector companies, are essential partners in achieving the UAE's national and emirate-level climate goals. We welcome more organisations to join the Alliance and collaborate on innovative pathways to drive large-scale emissions reductions across the country."

UACA's Advisory Committee represents senior leaders across government, finance, industry, academia and the environment. Members include Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director-General of Emirates Nature-WWF; Dr. Alanoud Alhaj Al Ali, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Green Development and Climate Change at MOCCAE; Mohamed Al Marzooqi, CEO of HSBC UAE; Sheikha Al-Mazrouei, Executive Director for Integrated Environment Policy and Planning at the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD); Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at MoEI, who joins the Advisory Committee as its newest member; Dr. Steven Griffiths, Vice Chancellor for Research at the American University of Sharjah; Dr. Leila Hoteit, Senior Partner and Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group; and Dr. Nasser Saidi, Chairman of the Clean Energy Business Council.

A key highlight of the session was the update on the Road2.0 initiative, which aims to catalyse the decarbonisation of commercial transport in the UAE. The initiative has already delivered a significant outcome: the Electric Vehicle (EV) Demand Declaration to the EV Ecosystem Players in the UAE, signed by 17 signatories, outlines coordinated action to scale up commercial EV adoption in the short term and deploy 20,000 Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) by 2040.

Al Olama said, "To ensure the UAE makes ambitious strides toward green mobility, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure continues to support the transition to sustainable transport through developing enabling policies and legislation and enhancing EV infrastructure through the launch of UAEV - a strategic venture that aims to deploy a nationwide EV charging network.

He added, "With initiatives like Road2.0, and through strong collaboration between government and the private sector, we are laying the foundation for a robust domestic EV ecosystem. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is proud to endorse this direction, and partner with UACA to achieve tangible outcomes that keep pace with the UAE's aspirations for a sustainable future."

"Engagement and collaboration between many different leaders, organisations and specialists across the economy will be central to achieving the UAE's net zero target," said the CEO of HSBC UAE. "With our role as UACA founding donor, we see the importance of bringing key stakeholders together to share knowledge, ideas, problem-solve challenges and explore locally relevant solutions that drive down emissions and create economic opportunities."

For her part, Laila Abdullatif said, "The UAE Alliance for Climate Action provides a credible and inclusive platform for non-state actors to take meaningful steps that accelerate climate ambition and action.

"Now in its third year of implementation, UACA convenes 55 non-state actors who are taking steps to set and achieve science-based targets in support of the Paris Agreement. Through its dual strategic pillars - building organisational readiness for decarbonisation and advocating for enabling policies through one voice - UACA continues to serve as a vital platform for climate action."

UACA encourages non-state actors to join the alliance and ramp up decarbonisation ambition in the UAE.