EAD Wins Global Gold for Abu Dhabi’s Bold Environmental Breakthroughs

Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency (EAD) has secured the Gold Award for Environmental Policy at the prestigious 2025 Green World Awards held in Auckland, New Zealand. The recognition highlights Abu Dhabi’s success in shaping effective, science-driven environmental governance that is delivering measurable results on the ground.

The award celebrates EAD’s Abu Dhabi Environmental Policies and Regulations Framework, a model of how to turn ambitious green policies into real-world action. The framework is credited with advancing climate resilience, restoring ecosystems, protecting marine life, improving air and water quality, and reducing plastic waste.

This accolade places Abu Dhabi among the global leaders in environmental management, showcasing how policy, backed by science and data, can drive large-scale positive change.

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Climate Action Delivers Real Impact

A cornerstone of the framework is the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy (2023–2027), targeting a 22% reduction in carbon emissions by 2027. By the end of 2024 alone, the emirate achieved a 26-million-tonne reduction in CO₂ emissions, driven largely by the energy sector.

EAD also launched the region’s first Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system aligned with the Paris Agreement, enabling transparent tracking of climate progress.

Water Security and Groundwater Gains

Efforts to protect Abu Dhabi’s limited water resources have shown encouraging results. Groundwater quality improved to 79% in 2023, while annual abstraction rates dropped by 3%, signalling a shift toward more sustainable water use.

Biodiversity Recovery and Protected Areas

EAD’s biodiversity conservation policies—including the Grazing Law, Hunting Law, Sustainable Aquaculture Policy, and Recreational Fishing Regulation—have transformed habitats and helped wildlife recover.

The Sheikh Zayed Protected Areas Network now spans 20 protected areas, covering 17% of Abu Dhabi’s land and marine territory. Visitor numbers to nature reserves climbed to 276,258 in 2024, reflecting growing public engagement with nature.

Abu Dhabi’s biodiversity efforts are also showing strong ecological returns. Fish stock recovery hit 97.4% by the end of 2024, far above global benchmarks, while the emirate’s marine restoration work was named one of the UN’s 10 World Restoration Flagships.

Cleaner Seas and Healthier Marine Ecosystems

EAD’s marine policies have set new national standards. Regulations introduced since 2020 have curbed harmful discharges and encouraged treated effluent reuse.

These measures have paid off:

• The Microbial Water Quality Index scored 100 for the second consecutive year in 2024, confirming safe recreational waters.

• The Marine Sediment Heavy Metal Index improved from 84 in 2023 to 98 in 2024, indicating cleaner seabeds and healthier marine life.

Abu Dhabi’s sediment quality standards, originally developed by EAD, have now been adopted nationally.

Air Quality and Plastic Waste Solutions

In 2024, EAD launched a new Air Quality Regulation to limit emissions from vehicles and industries, keeping pollution within safe levels for communities and ecosystems.

Its long-standing Single-Use Plastic Policy, introduced in 2020 and enforced in 2022, has delivered a 95% reduction in single-use plastic bag consumption. A bottle return scheme launched in 2023 has already collected over 2,000 tonnes of plastic bottles.

A Vision for the Next 50 Years

Looking ahead, EAD is steering long-term transformation through the Abu Dhabi Environmental Centennial 2071, a visionary 50-year plan for climate resilience and green innovation. The initiative has even earned Intellectual Property Rights from the UAE Ministry of Economy, underscoring its originality and importance.

EAD’s Gold Award at the 2025 Green World Awards underlines that sustained, evidence-based environmental action can achieve tangible change. Abu Dhabi’s integrated approach—combining science, strong policies, and community engagement—offers a powerful blueprint for cities worldwide confronting the urgent challenges of climate change and ecological decline.