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4.52. Article 23 of the Federal Constitution provides that "[t]he natural resources and wealth in each Emirate shall be considered to be the public property of that Emirate. Society shall be responsible for the protection and proper exploitation of such natural resources and wealth for the benefit of the national economy". Thus the oil and gas sector is mainly regulated at the Emirate level.

4.56. In June 2017, a federal law was passed regarding trading in petroleum products. Its aim is to organize the trade of petroleum products, determine the conditions and procedures of trade of petroleum products, and combat practices intended to harm the national economy, the security, and the environmental safety related to the present law.

4.60. The National Water and Energy Demand Management Programme, approved by the federal cabinet in August 2021, aims to achieve a 40% reduction in energy demand by 2050 in the three most energy-consuming sectors in the UAE (transport, industry, and construction) and a 50% reduction in water demand. Demand side management programmes have also been initiated at the emirate level. The aim of the Abu Dhabi Demand Side Management and Energy Rationalisation Strategy is to reduce electricity consumption by 22% and water consumption by 32% by 2030. The Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy 2030 aims to reduce the demand for electricity and water by 30% by 2030. Measures taken by the Emirates to reduce electricity consumption have involved building regulations and retrofits, price reform, demand response management, awareness and education, and grid efficiency and smart technology.

4.61. The authorities indicate that total clean energy (renewable and nuclear) installed capacity increased from 1,875 MW in 2019 to 4,500 MW in 2020 and is expected to reach 6,000 MW by the end of 2021. Renewable energy capacity increased very substantially during the period under review. According to one source, the UAE's capacity to generate electricity from renewable energy sources has increased more than sevenfold since 2017 and reached 2,540 MW in 2020. Almost all renewables capacity involves solar power. The key solar projects that were developed or are being developed are the Masdar 10 MW Photovoltaic Plant [133]; the 2 GW Al Dhafra Photovoltaic Plant in Abu Dhabi; and the Noor Abu Dhabi solar plant and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai, which involves both photovoltaic and concentrated solar power technologies, with a capacity of 2 GW today and an expected capacity of 5 GW in 2030 [134]. Another innovative project is the installed pilot of a floating solar power plant that is set to have a capacity of 80 kilowatts in Abu Dhabi. Waste-to-energy facilities are being developed in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. Another innovative project is the first hydroelectric power station in the GCC being built in Hatta (Dubai) with the capacity of 250 MW. [133] The first UAE solar project was launched in 2009, Masdar 10 MW Photovoltaic Plant. [134] This park also contains the first industrial-scale green hydrogen plant in the MENA region.

4.65. The UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, launched in 2018, aims to ensure sustainability and continuous access to water during normal and extreme emergency conditions. The Strategy was developed from a comprehensive national perspective to cover all elements of the water supply chain in the country with the participation of all entities and authorities concerned with water resources in the country. The Strategy defines the following specific targets: (i) reduce demand for water resources by 21% and average consumption per capita by 50% [145]; (ii) increase the water productivity index to USD 110 per cubic metre; (iii) reduce the water scarcity index by three degrees, from 6.58 in 2017; (iv) increase the reuse of treated water to 95%; (v) increase the national water storage capacity to two days; and (vi) establish six connecting networks between water and electricity entities across the UAE with capacity to provide 91 litres of water per person per day in cases of emergency, or 30 litres per person per day in cases of extreme emergencies. [145] The authorities indicate, in this regard, that Abu Dhabi introduced a new water slab tariffs system to encourage sustainable consumption.

4.66. The UAE has limited natural water resources and relies on seawater desalination as a primary source of potable water. The overall installed capacity of seawater desalination plants in 2019 was around 1,641 million imperial gallons per day and the total produced desalinated water in the same year was estimated at 442,319 million imperial gallons per year. The UAE is committed to further advancing industrial-scale, sustainable desalination technologies capable of meeting the country's future demand for fresh water. At present, the country is working on establishing three new water desalination plants using reverse osmosis membrane technology in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Um Al Quwain. The three plants are expected to produce additional 470 million imperial gallons of desalinated water per day by 2023.

4.67. The UAE operates modern wastewater treatment facilities with tertiary and advanced treatment capabilities. Treated water is used mainly for landscaping irrigation purposes, such as irrigating public gardens and highway landscaping. The total installed capacity of wastewater treatment plants in 2019 was about 899 million cubic metres per year, and the total produced treated wastewater in the same year was estimated at 736 million cubic metres per year.

4.147. (...) In Dubai, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) is responsible for, inter alia, defining the general policy for civil aviation in the Emirate in line with federal legislation, carrying out activities related to the management of civil aviation operations in line with federal legislation, following up the implementation of bilateral and multilateral agreements regulating air transport services in the Emirate, and applying environmental protection policies in line with federal and local environmental policies.

4.156. The UAE launched the Air Traffic Management (ATM) Strategic Plan for 2015-2030 with the aim of articulating air navigation strategies that are aligned with the ICAO Middle East Region priorities. The plan should ensure that the country maintains an ATM system that is safe, can accommodate demand, is globally interoperable, is environmentally sustainable, and satisfies national interests.

4.160. The Sharjah International Airport, (...). In 2020, the airport became the first airport in the GCC to obtain the global accreditation certificate in the management of carbon emissions for airports by the Airports Council International.