UAE: New app launched to empower residents to offset carbon footprints

A new app has been launched to incentivise UAE residents to help reduce carbon emissions. The project, called UAE Environmental Identity (UAEEI), was launched by the National Experts Programme (NEP) and is led by NEP Fellow, Abdulla Al Remeithi. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) and e&, collaborated with NEP to deliver the project.

Serving as a tool to collect data, UAEEI aims to measure the environmental footprint of individuals in the UAE, capturing data based on consumer choices to provide decision-makers with clear information to drive future policies.

It also aims to empower individuals to actively offset their carbon footprint as the UAE works towards reducing its emissions by 43 per cent by 2030.

Held at COP28 in Expo City Dubai, the launch ceremony was attended by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment. Almheiri is an NEP Mentor, and works closely with the programme's sector participants, passing on her specialised expertise, leadership skills, and guidance to help them make a transformative impact in their sector.

Commenting on the launch, Almheiri said, "The Environmental Identity App indeed shines a light on our own climate innovators in the UAE. In this new era of climate innovation, our success as a sustainable nation will be defined by the launchpads we create for climate innovators to take their work from the lab into the real world."

"It also serves as a groundbreaking solution that will help measure – and in turn – reduce their impact on the environment and is another step forward in our national vision to preserve the environment for future generations by enabling the people to make informed choices."

She added, "I am grateful for the National Experts Programme launched by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to identify a new generation of technical experts and innovators. The UAEEI is the outcome of a launchpad like NEP combining academic rigour, active mentoring, and funding pathways."

The initiative is sponsored by the Department of Energy - Abu Dhabi, EAD, and Mubadala.

The UAEEI is the culmination of Abdulla's Capstone Project in NEP 1.0, which received funding from NEP's legacy partner, Mubadala, to launch the innovative national initiative.