UAE Hosts 15th National Dialogue on Climate Ambition, Focuses on Decarbonizing Aluminium Industry

AL TAWEELAH: The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment convened its 15th National Dialogue on Climate Ambition (NDCA) at the Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) headquarters, centering discussions on innovative decarbonization strategies for the aluminium sector. As a key player in global aluminium production, the UAE is positioning itself to meet increasing demands while pursuing its Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative. According to Emirates News Agency, the NDCA serves as a vital platform established in May 2022 to enhance sectoral climate ambition and encourage all-inclusive participation towards the UAE's climate objectives. Each monthly session of the NDCA targets a specific sector, gathering stakeholders to address sectoral needs, priorities, and future directions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, emphasized the aluminium sector's significant role in advancing the UAE's Net Zero ambition. She noted the necessity of ba lancing rising aluminium demand with the reduction of its environmental footprint. Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of EGA, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the importance of sustainable production practices and the shared decarbonization challenges across industries. The session also witnessed Tadweer Group and Yellow Door Energy signing the UAE's Climate-Responsible Companies Pledge, increasing the total signatories to 140 since its launch in 2022. The pledge commits companies to transparent greenhouse gas emissions reporting, science-based reduction plans, and integrating climate change mitigation and adaptation into their business models. The event featured a panel on enhancing aluminium beverage can recycling rates and concluded with roundtables discussing the development of the aluminium scrap industry, circularity-driven emission reductions, and cross-sectoral emission reduction opportunities through aluminium use. During the visit, Dr. Al Dahak inaugurated the region's first fully renewable energy-pow ered industrial data centre, part of EGA's initiatives to reduce IT energy consumption by 50 percent and advance AI and automation in industrial operations.