The UAE tops the Arab countries in the 2026 Environmental Performance Index

The United Arab Emirates topped the Arab countries in the Global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2026, an achievement that reflects the success of the proactive and integrated approach adopted by the country, which is based on the involvement of various segments of society and the integration of government efforts in promoting climate action, protecting ecosystems, and improving environmental health.

The 2026 Global Environmental Performance Index evaluates the performance of countries through 47 indicators distributed over 12 main axes, falling within three comprehensive goals: environmental health, ecosystem vitality, and climate change. This remarkable progress achieved by the UAE is attributed to the balanced performance it recorded across these axes, supported by significant investments in environmental infrastructure, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and utilizing the latest technologies to fill data gaps and enhance the efficiency of environmental performance.

On this occasion, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al-Dahhak, said: This achievement reflects the advanced position that the UAE has reached in the field of sustainability and environmental protection, and embodies the fruit of the vision of the wise leadership that established a development approach that balances economic growth with the preservation of natural resources, based on the solid environmental legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, who made environmental protection and the preservation of its resources an integral part of the national development process.

She added: The UAE continues to implement the objectives of the UAE Strategy for Climate Neutrality 2050, by accelerating the transition towards a low-carbon economy, enhancing investment in renewable energy, protecting biodiversity, consolidating the principles of the circular economy, and achieving sustainable management of natural resources, which contributes to building a more sustainable and prosperous future for future generations.

She concluded: This progress confirms the effectiveness of national policies, the integration of efforts between government agencies, the private sector, and society, and the continuous investment in innovation and modern technologies, which enhances the country’s ability to achieve its environmental and climate goals, and consolidates its position among the world’s leading countries in the field of sustainable development. This achievement represents an incentive to continue building on what has been achieved, strengthen national and international partnerships, and develop innovative solutions that contribute to confronting environmental challenges, and consolidate the role of the UAE as an active partner in global efforts to protect the environment and climate action.

According to the global index data, the UAE achieved a full score (100) in the waste management index, ranking first in this field, confirming the efficiency of its system in managing waste sustainably and reducing environmental risks. It also scored 100 points in the fisheries index using bottom trawl nets, indicating that this type of fishing is not practiced within the country’s territorial waters, and achieved 94.99% in the wastewater treatment index, ranking nineteenth in the world.

The UAE also came first in the region and ninth in the world in protecting key marine biodiversity areas (Marine Key Biodiversity Areas – KBAs), reflecting its continued investments in protecting vital ecosystems, while it ranked second regionally in protecting marine habitats, confirming its continued commitment to preserving the marine environment and preserving its natural resources.

The progress achieved by the UAE on the global stage is based on a system of ambitious and future policies and strategies, which are leading the country’s transformation towards a low-carbon and circular economy. With this approach, the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aims to triple the contribution of renewable energy, and invest between 150 and 200 billion dirhams by 2030, to meet the increasing demand for energy resulting from rapid economic growth.

With regard to renewable energy projects, the installed capacity of renewable energy in the country increased by 117% during the period between 2022 and 2025, driven by major projects such as the Noor Abu Dhabi station to the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Energy Park, which reflects the great acceleration in the deployment of clean energy projects. The UAE also continues to consolidate its global position through qualitative projects, including the recently announced solar photovoltaic project with a capacity of 5.2 gigawatts, supported by an energy storage system. With a capacity of 19 gigawatt hours, which is being developed by Masdar and the Emirates Water and Electricity Company, it will become the largest continuous solar energy project with storage in the world, capable of providing clean electricity around the clock. At the same time, the country continues to develop hydrogen technologies and strengthen its position as a future global center for the production and export of green hydrogen.

Water security remains a national priority for the UAE, which continues to invest in advanced management of water resources and sustainable desalination technologies, and pioneering projects, such as the Al Taweelah plant, one of the largest reverse osmosis desalination plants in the world, embody the country’s commitment to raising the efficiency of water use, reducing the environmental footprint of desalination operations, and enhancing the ability to adapt to climate change in the long term.

The National Air Quality Agenda 2031 also provides a comprehensive framework that unites the efforts of federal and local agencies and the private sector to protect human health and the environment, through three main axes that include monitoring using advanced sensor networks, reducing emissions by applying strict controls, and management by improving urban planning and environmental policies, ensuring that air quality remains among the country’s priorities.

The Circular Economy Policy 2031 aims to enhance environmental health, support the private sector in adopting clean production methods, and reduce pressures on natural resources, in order to achieve the country’s vision of being a global leader in green development, with a focus on sustainable manufacturing, green infrastructure, and maximizing the efficiency of resource use.

The UAE’s efforts in the field of protecting biodiversity are based on nature-based solutions, foremost of which is the goal of planting 100 million mangrove trees by 2030, as the number of trees planted so far has exceeded 50 million trees in various emirates of the country, and protected terrestrial and marine areas cover more than 19% of the country’s area. This contributes to the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems.

The early adoption of artificial intelligence technologies contributed to accelerating the pace of the country’s environmental progress, as the UAE uses locally developed heavy drones powered by artificial intelligence to spread mangrove seeds in hard-to-reach coastal areas.

Machine learning systems and satellite technologies are also being used to monitor blue carbon sequestration, analyze seedling growth rates, and monitor air quality patterns in real time. This significant investment in innovation and technology has contributed to providing more efficient governance models, enhancing transparency, and improving the management of natural resources at the national level.

As the 2026 Environmental Performance Index data shows, environmental performance is often linked to the economic level of countries, but governance remains the decisive strategic factor in achieving leadership, as it provides an integrated system of environmental governance, ambitious investments in clean energy, and the adoption of innovative technology-based solutions to protect the environment, as all of this has contributed to consolidating the UAE’s position as a global model to be emulated in the region and the world in sustainability practices.