Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | Environmental Protection

The wise leadership of the UAE has started working early on protecting natural resources for generations to come and developing clean and renewable energy sources. Over the past few years, the UAE has come a long way in facing challenges related to climate change and energy. The UAE has the means to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030. It also played an important role in the negotiations leading to the Paris Agreement, by presenting nationally-determined contributions as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Dubai has become a pioneer in developing the clean and renewable energy sector. It has proactively developed techniques and practices to enhance the efficiency of the energy sector while rationalising consumption and finding alternative solutions to conventional energy. This supports the sustainable development of the Emirate. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) recently announced increasing the clean energy share of Dubai’s energy mix to 9%, exceeding the target of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. This strategy aims to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2050.

DEWA is one of the pioneers who set up environmental programmes and initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. DEWA currently has an installed capacity of 11,700 megawatts (MW) of electricity, including 1,013MW from photovoltaic panels at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. This is the largest single-site solar park in the world. The total production capacity of projects under implementation at the Solar Park is 1,850 MW from photovoltaic panels and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). The Solar Park has a planned capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030.

DEWA’s efforts have led to a significant reduction in carbon emissions in Dubai. Net carbon dioxide emissions in Dubai decreased by 19% in 2018, two years ahead of the Carbon Abatement Strategy 2021 target to reduce them by 16% by 2021.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, highlighted that DEWA aims, over the next few years, to increase its contribution to countering the adverse effects of climate change. DEWA hopes to consolidate its efforts to implement its initiatives according to the highest standards of sustainability and efficiency, and leverage its key partnerships and strategies. DEWA also seeks to create a safe, sustainable, and healthy environment. DEWA is committed to achieving the ambitious vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to enhance green economy and support global efforts to resolve climate change. In line with its vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation, DEWA strives to promote sustainability and conservation as well as raise environmental awareness. It also encourages society members to adopt a responsible lifestyle to protect the environment and our natural resources, while reducing waste and avoiding irresponsible behaviours that harm the environment.

“Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, it’s necessary to take immediate and critical measures to protect the environment and humanity’s health. Environmental pollutants have disrupted the ecosystem, and made many living organisms mutate to adapt to environmental changes. A recent report by the World Economic Forum, entitled ‘COVID-19 and nature are linked,’ states that the coronavirus pandemic is a stark reminder of our dysfunctional relationship with nature. It also said that nature provides a buffer between humans and disease, and emerging diseases are often the results of encroachment into natural ecosystems and changes in human activity.

Improving carbon emissions

The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy announced in June 2019 that the UAE recorded an improvement of carbon emission bringing per capita emissions to 15.66tCO2 in the last MRV compiled.

The Supreme Council of Energy also said that Dubai exceeded the target of the Carbon Abatement Strategy. The net CO2 emissions of the Emirate of Dubai achieved a 16% reduction by 2021 when compared to the Business As Usual (BAU) scenario. The net CO2 emissions of the Emirate of Dubai in 2018 have achieved an astounding 19% reduction when compared to the business as usual (BAU) scenario and 10% below the Carbon abatement strategy 2021.

Effective strategy for reducing emissions

DEWA achieved an 31.40% improvement in cumulative efficiency from 2006 to 2019. This was the equivalent of a 57.58 million tonnes reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. DEWA has a current production capacity of 11, 700MW and 470 million gallons of desalinated water per day and reduced its losses in power transmission and distribution networks to 3.2%. This was an improvement of 30% compared to 2007. DEWA’s water network losses in 2019 were 6.6%, which is one of the lowest in the world. DEWA also achieved the lowest customer minutes lost per year (CML) in the world of 1.86 CML.

The efficiency improvement projects of electricity and water production will contribute to cumulative savings of AED 70 billion, and reduce carbon emissions by 236 million tonnes by 2030. Production efficiency increased more than 29% since 2006 till now.

Top position in reducing paper by 82%

DEWA’s customers made over 9.1 million smart transactions in 2019. This reduced paper by 82%, saved over AED 371 million, and reduced about 31,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. This is equal to planting over 35,500 trees spreading over a distance equal to 67 football pitches.

Savings of conservation programmes and initiatives

DEWA’s conservation programmes and initiatives have achieved cumulative savings of 2.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity and 7.8 billion gallons of water between 2009 and 2019, in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. These programmes include the Conservation Award, Our Ideal Home initiative, the Green Week, Earth Hour, and ‘Let's Make This Summer Green’ campaign among others. The savings achieved are equivalent to saving AED 1.3 billion, which equals an annual electricity consumption from approximately 327,000 apartments and annual water consumption of 250,000 apartments. The savings also reduced 1.14 million tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to planting 1.3 million trees and the consumption of 134 million LED lights, while water saving was equivalent to filling up 14,000 Olympic swimming pools.

Prestigious International Environmental Awards

In recognition to its continuous efforts to achieve the strategic objectives of sustainability, DEWA received several environmental awards, including the Global of Honour Award for Environment, and is one of seven organisations to score full marks. It was also awarded the Five Star Environmental Audit for the 9th consecutive year from the British Safety Council. This places DEWA at the forefront of sustainable utilities that comply with all environmental requirements and standards locally, federally, and globally, with zero environmental waste at all its buildings.