EAD and Global Green Growth Institute extend Cooperation on Green Growth in Abu Dhabi agreement

The Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) has signed an amendment to its agreement with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) during an official visit to the Republic of Korea. The amendment extends the Cooperation on Green Growth in Abu Dhabi agreement, first signed by the two entities in 2023, for a further three years until 2029.

It also updates the areas of cooperation supporting Abu Dhabi’s climate ambitions, including carbon management, climate adaptation and sustainable finance. The amendment was signed by Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, and Sang-Hyup Kim, Executive Director of GGGI, in Seoul, on the sidelines of the second chapter of EAD’s global Source-to-Sea initiative.

The initiative was convened in partnership with GGGI and supported by the UAE Embassy in Seoul. Since the agreement was first signed in 2023, the partnership has supported the development of Abu Dhabi’s unified Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, which has since moved from a voluntary programme to a legally mandated framework covering the emirate’s most significant emitting sectors.

Through the partnership, GGGI will continue to support EAD in strengthening Abu Dhabi’s carbon management framework, consolidating the emirate’s adaptation planning and mobilising private capital for environmental and climate projects.

Cooperation will also extend across the circular economy, the environmental goods and services sector, climate resilience capacity building and Abu Dhabi’s greenhouse gas and air quality monitoring system. The partnership supports the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy (2023–2027), the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative and the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ahead of the UAE’s co-hosting of the 2026 UN Water Conference in December.

Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, said: “Abu Dhabi’s climate ambitions require an integrated approach that brings together effective regulation, sustainable finance and robust science. This agreement strengthens the strategic framework for our cooperation with the Global Green Growth Institute, enabling us to advance practical solutions that support the objectives of our Climate Change Strategy and the UAE’s wider net-zero and sustainable development ambitions.

Signing it in the Republic of Korea also reflects the importance of international cooperation in addressing shared environmental challenges and building a more resilient and sustainable future. ”

Sang-Hyup Kim, Executive Director of GGGI, said: “Abu Dhabi is moving from ambition to delivery on climate action, and this agreement positions GGGI as a partner in that delivery. Our partnership with the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi is an effective model for integrating environmental expertise and green growth practices, contributing to tangible results that balance economic development and environmental protection, and we look forward to sharing the outcomes with our members around the world.

” The UAE is a founding member of GGGI and has partnered with the Institute since 2011 on the country’s transition towards a green economy. GGGI is a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation headquartered in Seoul that supports developing and emerging economies in adopting green growth models that are environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive.