EAD and GGGI extend strategic partnership to accelerate Abu Dhabi climate action
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi has signed a three-year amendment with the Global Green Growth Institute to deepen collaboration on carbon management, adaptation and sustainable finance until 2029.
EAD and GGGI renew cooperation to 2029
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has signed an amendment to its 2023 agreement with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), extending their cooperation for a further three years to 2029. The amendment was concluded in Seoul during an official EAD visit and on the sidelines of the second chapter of the agency’s Source-to-Sea initiative, convened with GGGI and supported by the UAE Embassy in Seoul.
Signed by Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary‑General of EAD, and Sang‑Hyup Kim, Executive Director of GGGI, the updated accord broadens the partnership’s remit to prioritise Abu Dhabi’s immediate climate objectives, including carbon management, climate adaptation and sustainable finance. The agreement also identifies collaboration in circular economy development, the environmental goods and services sector, and capacity building for climate resilience.
Since the original 2023 agreement, the partnership has contributed to the creation of Abu Dhabi’s unified Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system. That framework has transitioned from a voluntary programme to a legally mandated system covering the emirate’s most significant emitting sectors, a development the amendment is intended to consolidate and expand.
Under the extended cooperation, GGGI will continue to advise EAD on strengthening Abu Dhabi’s carbon management architecture, refining adaptation planning and mobilising private capital for environmental and climate projects. Technical support will also cover enhancement of the emirate’s greenhouse gas and air quality monitoring systems and the promotion of investment-ready green projects.
Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri said the agreement reinforces an integrated approach combining regulation, sustainable finance and robust science to deliver Abu Dhabi’s climate ambitions. Sang‑Hyup Kim described the partnership as a model for translating ambition into delivery and for integrating environmental expertise with green growth practices.
The renewed cooperation aligns with the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy (2023–2027), the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative, the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also forms part of preparatory work ahead of the UAE’s role as co‑host of the 2026 UN Water Conference in December.
The UAE is a founding member of GGGI and has worked with the institute since 2011 on the nation’s transition to a green economy. GGGI, an intergovernmental organisation based in Seoul, assists developing and emerging economies in adopting environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive green growth models.
Source: WAM