Abu Dhabi, UAE— Looking to exchange expertise and explore potential synergies in hydrogen and carbon trading, an industry workshop was organized under the Emirati-German Energy and Climate Partnership.
The workshop was organized by the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) of Germany. The workshop was developed and executed hand-in-hand with the AHK Sustainability Series and Guidehouse.
The workshop brought together experts from both sides who provided overviews of the national hydrogen strategies of the UAE and Germany.
It also featured presentations on the UAE carbon trading outlook and voluntary carbon markets, as well as an interactive panel discussion on the design of the UAE carbon market.
Christoph Klarmann, Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in the UAE, as well as Oliver Oehms, CEO of the German Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce (AHK), attended the workshop, alongside stakeholders from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, BASF, Krohne, and ACX.
Sharif Al Olama, Under-Secretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at MoEI, said, “The UAE and Germany share a steadfast commitment to sustainable development, a passion for innovation, and an eagerness to embrace future trends. The workshop offered an ideal platform to exchange expertise and explore potential synergies in hydrogen and carbon trading. As a global technology leader, Germany is at the forefront of coming up with innovative solutions to the climate and energy crises and is a valued partner in the UAE’s shift to clean energy, as evident by the initiatives carried out under the umbrella of the Emirati-German Energy and Climate Partnership.”
He added, “Developing our National Hydrogen Strategy was a major step in paving the way for a robust hydrogen economy. We have set high ambitions and aim to claim our share of the emerging hydrogen market.”
The National Hydrogen Strategy is a long-term plan to turn the UAE into a leading and reliable producer and supplier of low-carbon hydrogen by 2031. It targets the production of 1.4 million metric tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen annually by 2031, and to increase this figure tenfold to 15 million tonnes by 2050.
The strategy emphasizes the importance of economic growth and will help create thousands of jobs in the hydrogen sector by 2050, in addition to reducing emissions in hard-to-abate sectors, such as heavy industries, land transport, aviation, and sea freight, by 25 percent by 2031.
Anne Jacobs-Schleithoff, Head of Division, North Africa and Near and Middle East at BMWK, said, “I would like to congratulate the UAE on finalising their National Hydrogen Strategy. We are very honored that we could support you in the process of developing the strategy with Fraunhofer and the Energy & Climate Partnership. We value the role Germany is given as a key partner for exports. The ramp up of the hydrogen market will be a booster for bilateral trade and enable sustainable economic growth.”
Furthermore, she noted, “The upcoming COP28 not only underlines the urgency to act and to integrate the energy and climate agenda. Under the Emirati-German Energy and Climate Partnership, we want to support these efforts and work together on effective action for climate protection.
The visit of the German delegation to the UAE comes under the umbrella of the Emirati-German Energy and Climate Partnership that supports high-level political dialogue, communication between public and private stakeholders, and exchange of best practices regarding the energy transition in the UAE and Germany.