Abu Dhabi and GGGI deepen green-growth partnership with three-year extension to 2029
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and the Global Green Growth Institute have amended their cooperation agreement in Seoul, broadening support for carbon management, climate adaptation and sustainable finance as Abu Dhabi moves from ambition to delivery.
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have formalised an extension to their Cooperation on Green Growth in Abu Dhabi agreement, lengthening the partnership by a further three years to 2029. The amendment was signed in Seoul during an official EAD visit to the Republic of Korea, on the margins of the second chapter of EAD’s global Source-to-Sea initiative.
The amendment, signed by Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, and Sang-Hyup Kim, Executive Director of GGGI, updates and enlarges the scope of collaboration to accelerate practical measures in support of Abu Dhabi’s climate ambitions. The Source-to-Sea event was convened in partnership with GGGI and supported by the UAE Embassy in Seoul.
From MRV reform to mobilising private capital
Since the original agreement in 2023, the partnership has underpinned the development of Abu Dhabi’s unified Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, which has progressed from a voluntary programme to a legally mandated framework covering the emirate’s most significant emitting sectors. Under the renewed cooperation, GGGI will continue to assist EAD in strengthening Abu Dhabi’s carbon management framework.
Workstreams in the extended agreement include consolidating the emirate’s adaptation planning and mobilising private capital for environmental and climate projects. Cooperation will also extend to the circular economy, the environmental goods and services sector, climate resilience capacity building and enhancements to Abu Dhabi’s greenhouse gas and air quality monitoring system.
Strategic alignment with national and international commitments
The partnership explicitly supports the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy (2023–2027), the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative and the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its renewal is also positioned ahead of the UAE’s co-hosting of the 2026 UN Water Conference in December, signalling continued readiness to cooperate internationally on water and climate-related challenges.
Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, said: “Abu Dhabi’s climate ambitions require an integrated approach that brings together effective regulation, sustainable finance and robust science. This agreement strengthens the strategic framework for our cooperation with the Global Green Growth Institute, enabling us to advance practical solutions that support the objectives of our Climate Change Strategy and the UAE’s wider net-zero and sustainable development ambitions. Signing it in the Republic of Korea also reflects the importance of international cooperation in addressing shared environmental challenges and building a more resilient and sustainable future.”
Sang-Hyup Kim, Executive Director of GGGI, said: “Abu Dhabi is moving from ambition to delivery on climate action, and this agreement positions GGGI as a partner in that delivery. Our partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi is an effective model for integrating environmental expertise and green growth practices, contributing to tangible results that balance economic development and environmental protection, and we look forward to sharing the outcomes with our members around the world.”
A continuing partnership rooted in shared objectives
The UAE is a founding member of GGGI and has collaborated with the institute since 2011, seeking to guide the country’s transition towards a green economy. Headquartered in Seoul, GGGI is a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation that supports developing and emerging economies in adopting green growth models that are environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive.
The extension of the cooperation agreement cements an operational relationship focused on translating policy frameworks into financed projects and resilient, measurable outcomes — reflecting Abu Dhabi’s commitment to integrated, science-based climate action and the mobilisation of private-sector finance to scale solutions.