emirates7 - A UAE delegation, led by Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, took part in the High-Level Energy Transition Dialogue. This event was organized by the Presidency of COP30 in collaboration with the International Energy Agency and was held at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
The dialogue was part of global preparations for COP30, which will take place in Belém, Brazil. It provided a platform for exchanging views on accelerating the implementation of decisions from COP28 and COP29 and achieving worldwide energy transition targets, including doubling energy efficiency and tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030.
Speaking to an audience of energy ministers and senior officials, Al Olama highlighted the significance of the UAE Consensus reached at COP28 in Dubai, describing it as a milestone that redefined the global approach to energy transition—not only as an environmental need but as an economic, social, and developmental priority.
He added that COP29 in Azerbaijan reinforced the global commitment to increasing clean energy investments and creating credible transition pathways, emphasizing the importance of finance, technology transfer, and regional cooperation. The Global Stocktake, initiated at COP28, remains a key tool for measuring progress, with the next step being translating these assessments into concrete actions.
Al Olama stressed that for the UAE, energy transition is an ongoing national priority driving tangible changes. The updated UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aims to balance energy security, affordability, and sustainability, setting clear goals for clean energy deployment, sector-wide decarbonization, and significant energy efficiency improvements.
He pointed out that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 cannot rely solely on renewables. Instead, energy efficiency is a fundamental pillar of the transition—being the most cost-effective and impactful measure that supports all other technologies and solutions.
Additionally, the UAE delegation participated in the 10th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, organized by the International Energy Agency with the EU Commission.
At the conference, Al Olama emphasized that energy efficiency in the UAE is seen not just as a means for decarbonization but also as a critical tool to boost the economy by lowering costs, enhancing energy security, and improving operational performance. These efforts encourage investment, quality jobs, and promote innovation and competitiveness across key sectors. However, challenges such as limited financing, low awareness, misaligned incentives, and high upfront costs, especially in emerging markets, remain obstacles.
To address this, the UAE announced at COP29 in Baku its plan to establish the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance (GEEA), supporting the UAE Consensus and the global aim to more than double the annual energy efficiency improvement rate—from about 2% historically to over 4% by 2030. The official launch of GEEA took place in Brussels, underscoring the UAE’s commitment to placing energy efficiency at the center of the international energy and climate agenda. Al Olama warned that current global improvements are below 1.5% annually, putting decarbonization and net-zero goals at risk.
As the founding Chair and Secretariat of GEEA, the UAE is collaborating with partners to move beyond advocacy toward practical implementation by scaling technical cooperation, mobilizing funding, and supporting the development of national and sector-specific efficiency plans.
Al Olama extended an open invitation to governments, private sector players, financial institutions, and civil society organizations to join the Alliance, share expertise, align their efforts, and speed up progress on global energy efficiency.
During his time in Brussels, Al Olama also held bilateral meetings with key officials to promote GEEA and advance the global energy transition agenda. These included discussions with Stefani Sannino (Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf at the European External Action Service), Ditte Juul Jørgensen (Director-General for Energy at the European Commission), Ben Copp (Director-General of the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada), Jan Dusík (Deputy Director-General for Climate Action at the European Commission), Masanori Tsuruda (Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry), and Anders Hoffmann (Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities).
The dialogue was part of global preparations for COP30, which will take place in Belém, Brazil. It provided a platform for exchanging views on accelerating the implementation of decisions from COP28 and COP29 and achieving worldwide energy transition targets, including doubling energy efficiency and tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030.
Speaking to an audience of energy ministers and senior officials, Al Olama highlighted the significance of the UAE Consensus reached at COP28 in Dubai, describing it as a milestone that redefined the global approach to energy transition—not only as an environmental need but as an economic, social, and developmental priority.
He added that COP29 in Azerbaijan reinforced the global commitment to increasing clean energy investments and creating credible transition pathways, emphasizing the importance of finance, technology transfer, and regional cooperation. The Global Stocktake, initiated at COP28, remains a key tool for measuring progress, with the next step being translating these assessments into concrete actions.
Al Olama stressed that for the UAE, energy transition is an ongoing national priority driving tangible changes. The updated UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aims to balance energy security, affordability, and sustainability, setting clear goals for clean energy deployment, sector-wide decarbonization, and significant energy efficiency improvements.
He pointed out that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 cannot rely solely on renewables. Instead, energy efficiency is a fundamental pillar of the transition—being the most cost-effective and impactful measure that supports all other technologies and solutions.
Additionally, the UAE delegation participated in the 10th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, organized by the International Energy Agency with the EU Commission.
At the conference, Al Olama emphasized that energy efficiency in the UAE is seen not just as a means for decarbonization but also as a critical tool to boost the economy by lowering costs, enhancing energy security, and improving operational performance. These efforts encourage investment, quality jobs, and promote innovation and competitiveness across key sectors. However, challenges such as limited financing, low awareness, misaligned incentives, and high upfront costs, especially in emerging markets, remain obstacles.
To address this, the UAE announced at COP29 in Baku its plan to establish the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance (GEEA), supporting the UAE Consensus and the global aim to more than double the annual energy efficiency improvement rate—from about 2% historically to over 4% by 2030. The official launch of GEEA took place in Brussels, underscoring the UAE’s commitment to placing energy efficiency at the center of the international energy and climate agenda. Al Olama warned that current global improvements are below 1.5% annually, putting decarbonization and net-zero goals at risk.
As the founding Chair and Secretariat of GEEA, the UAE is collaborating with partners to move beyond advocacy toward practical implementation by scaling technical cooperation, mobilizing funding, and supporting the development of national and sector-specific efficiency plans.
Al Olama extended an open invitation to governments, private sector players, financial institutions, and civil society organizations to join the Alliance, share expertise, align their efforts, and speed up progress on global energy efficiency.
During his time in Brussels, Al Olama also held bilateral meetings with key officials to promote GEEA and advance the global energy transition agenda. These included discussions with Stefani Sannino (Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf at the European External Action Service), Ditte Juul Jørgensen (Director-General for Energy at the European Commission), Ben Copp (Director-General of the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada), Jan Dusík (Deputy Director-General for Climate Action at the European Commission), Masanori Tsuruda (Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry), and Anders Hoffmann (Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities).