Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced it achieved its 2025 carbon intensity reduction target six months ahead of the planned deadline, cutting CO₂ emissions per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by 22 percent compared to the 2020 baseline. The milestone, confirmed by independent auditors DNV, was reached in September 2025 and positions DEWA as one of the lowest-carbon utility companies among emerging market peers.
Clean Energy Driving the Achievement
DEWA’s carbon reduction success is directly attributable to the rapid expansion of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park — currently the world’s largest single-site solar facility in development. As of March 2026, the park generates 5.4 GW of clean electricity and is on track to reach 5.9 GW by year-end as Phase 6 commences operations. Solar energy now accounts for 29 percent of DEWA’s total electricity generation — up from 7 percent in 2020.
DEWA has also benefited from the commissioning of the Barakah nuclear power plant, which now supplies approximately 25 percent of the UAE’s electricity demand with zero direct carbon emissions. Combined, solar and nuclear generation provide more than half of Dubai’s electricity with no greenhouse gas output — a remarkable transformation for a grid that was entirely fossil-fuel dependent as recently as 2015.
Business Implications: Green Tariffs and Sustainability Reporting
DEWA’s improved carbon intensity has a direct commercial benefit for businesses operating in Dubai. Companies required to disclose Scope 2 emissions under international standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), CDP, or the newly mandatory UAE Corporate Sustainability Reporting (CSR) framework can now report a market-based electricity emission factor significantly lower than the GCC average.
DEWA introduced its Green Tariff Scheme in 2024, allowing commercial and industrial customers to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) corresponding to their electricity consumption. As of Q1 2026, more than 620 large commercial customers — including global logistics firms, data centres, and manufacturing facilities — have enrolled in the scheme, covering a combined annual consumption of 3.2 billion kilowatt-hours.
Next Targets: Net Zero by 2050
Building on the 2025 achievement, DEWA has established new intermediate targets: a 40 percent carbon intensity reduction by 2030 (relative to 2020) and net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050, aligned with the UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative. By 2030, DEWA plans to raise the share of clean energy in its generation mix to 75 percent through additional solar capacity at Al Dhafra and a new offshore wind pilot project in the Gulf.
For businesses considering facility expansions in Dubai, DEWA’s clean energy trajectory directly strengthens the sustainability credentials of the emirate as a location choice. Companies with science-based emissions targets or net-zero commitments increasingly factor grid carbon intensity into their site selection decisions — and Dubai’s improving profile on this metric is a meaningful competitive advantage over regional peers.
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