Category: National governments, Emission inventories

United Arab Emirates Air Quality Inventory

Aether, in partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), supported the Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment (MOCCAE) to compile the first UAE air pollutant emission inventory.

The challenge

Improving air quality is a priority for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is part of the Country’s Green Agenda, one of the Key Performance Indicators in the national agenda and is also mentioned in the Vision 2021 plan. In response, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) launched the Air Emissions Monitoring Project to develop the first national level inventory for air pollutant emissions in the UAE. This project identified the key sources of air pollutants in the country so that appropriate strategies can be put in place to improve air quality.

The solution

Aether compiled air pollutant inventories for 2015 for each individual Emirate. These inventories were added together to provide data at the national level. The inventories were compiled according to the methodologies provided in the 2016 EMEP/EEA Guidebook and covered the following sectors: stationary energy combustion, transport, industrial processes and product use, agriculture and waste. Priority was given to the collection of local and national data sources, which has allowed for Emirate-specific emission calculations.

The inventory was compiled using Aether’s inventory templates. These include tailored data summaries and have been adapted for country-specific reporting needs. They also include in-built QA/QC checks which ensure time-series consistency and help to prevent errors. In addition, the customised inventory calculations were delivered to MOCCAE at the end of the project. The inventory can be improved overtime by national experts without any additional input from external experts.

Producing the AQ inventory estimates was a useful step in understanding air quality issues in the UAE. However, the most important aspect of this project was the training and engagement of national experts and stakeholders. During this project, two training workshops were provided to support the development of national expertise and to communicate the key messages surrounding air quality to stakeholders from all Emirates.

The result

This project has produced the first ever air pollutant inventory developed for all seven Emirates. Emission estimates have been compiled for the year 2015, for six pollutants. The results of the inventory have allowed the main pollution sources to be identified, so that appropriate action can be taken to improve air quality across the UAE.

The development of national expertise and the final recommendations for inventory improvement provide the basis for the UAE to improve the completeness and accuracy of the emission estimates for the next inventory cycle.

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Melanie Hobson

Director

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Testimonial

Don't just take our word for it...

“It has been a pleasure to work with Chris Dore and Richard Claxton from Aether: they did their job in a very professional and timely manner. The workshop was organized and carried out in a cooperative spirit; the information provided to the workshop participants was complete and clear.”

Alina Novikova, UN/ECE Secretariat

“Chris was excellent to work with and always very pro active in making suggestions, taking work forward and applying his considerable technical knowledge in effective ways.”

Robert Vaughan, Defra Air Quality Team

“Aether's approach to couple innovative visualisation with high expertise manpower delivered valuable insights for our inventory work.”

Umweltbundesamt (Germany)

“We have been collaborating with Aether for several years, and our projects have greatly benefited from it. Aether staff are very knowledgeable, professional and flexible - and last but not least, very friendly and a pleasure to work with.”

Umhverfisstofnun, Environment Agency of Iceland

“I must congratulate each of you for your professional and tireless efforts. Let me point out that this has been the 'neatest' in-country review expert review team I have coordinated, and it has been a real pleasure.”

UNFCCC Secretariat

“Aether is a great partner for work in the area of European Air Emissions. The team was committed, reliable, well organised and had a deep technical understanding and motivated other partners with their good spirit.”

Umweltbundesamt: Environment Agency Austria

“A heartfelt thank you to all the Aether team for this very comprehensive review – this is certainly turning out to be one of the most beneficial capacity building projects I have ever been involved in.”

Saviour Vassallo, Senior Environment Protection Officer, Malta Resources Authority

“Both the face-to-face training and the online version have been of high quality, with dynamic methods and a practical orientation that have allowed students to reach a solid knowledge base. The products have been delivered within the stipulated deadlines with an excellent quality and the team has always shown willingness to make adjustments according to the requirements of CONAF. We are very satisfied with the work. ”

Javier Cano Martín, Professional Unit for Climate Change and Environmental Services, CONAF (National Forestry Corporation), Chile

“We have worked with Aether since 2019 to baseline, and subsequently update, our council and borough greenhouse gas inventories. It is a pleasure working with Aether’s professional, responsive, collaborative and helpful team. ”

Merton Council

“Saint Lucia embraces the professional approach with which this project was undertaken by Aether, particularly their ability to develop mentorship relations with local government experts. This provides a basis for ensuring that the pool of local experts remain engaged and recognized over successive processes.”

Annette Rattigan-Leo, Chief Sustainable Development and Environment Officer

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