Environment Agency celebrates 30 years, reinforces Strategic Plan 2026-2030

The Environment Agency has marked its 30th anniversary as it continues to deliver its Strategic Plan (2026–2030) which is already shaping Abu Dhabi’s next era of environmental leadership.

Since 1996, EAD has been the guardian of the emirate’s national environment, continuing a legacy pioneered by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, whose vision established that progress and preservation must go hand in hand. EAD serves as the emirate’s primary environmental authority, responsible for developing and implementing policies that deliver measurable outcomes across conservation, biodiversity, and natural resource management. Operating in partnership with government entities, the private sector, research institutions, local and international communities, EAD translates environmental commitments into practical, large-scale impact that advances Abu Dhabi’s sustainability agenda on both regional and global levels.

These efforts have yielded measurable outcomes. Marine and terrestrial protected areas now cover 20 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s area, and previously threatened species have been successfully saved. Among them is the Arabian Oryx, restored from its endangered status of Extinct in the Wild in 1972 to Vulnerable in 2011, the first time this has ever been achieved for any species anywhere in the world according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

EAD also operates one of the region’s most advanced real-time air quality monitoring networks, tracking 17 pollutants, collecting 145 million data points annually with 99 per cent accuracy, and has pioneered the region’s first odour monitoring network. Marine resources have been restored and managed within scientifically sustainable limits, with the Sustainable Fishing Index reaching 100 per cent in 2025, up from 8 per cent only eight years ago.

This evidence base has translated into impactful policy action. EAD pioneered the region’s first integrated Single-Use Plastic Policy in 2020 and enforced the ban on single-use plastic bags in June 2022, driving a 95 per cent reduction in their use across major retail. In 2025, the agency launched the region’s first comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2025-2050). That same year, Abu Dhabi was recognised by the United Nations University as the GCC’s first Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development, affirming the emirate’s role as the environmental knowledge leader for the region.

Together, these achievements demonstrate the impact of sustained, science-led governance and form the foundation for EAD’s Strategic Plan (2026–2030).

Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of the Environment Agency, underscored that the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, entrusted this nation with a vision in which the protection of the environment is inseparable from the dignity of its people and the prosperity of its future, and that from that vision, the agency was born.

His Highness emphasised that, for three decades, the agency has upheld this responsibility with the rigour of science, the discipline of governance, and a sense of duty befitting the legacy it serves. His Highness reaffirmed that EAD’s Strategic Plan, now well underway carries this commitment forward, representing a new pledge to the community and future generations, that Abu Dhabi has passed to future generations and is richer, healthier, and more resilient than the one inherited.

His Excellency Mohamed Ahmed Al Bowardi, Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee, said: “Abu Dhabi’s environmental leadership reflects deliberate governance, disciplined execution, and a long-term commitment to uphold the highest standards of accountability. What distinguishes this emirate is how we have chosen to lead, through science, foresight, and the conviction that stewardship of nature is inseparable from enduring prosperity.”

Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, said: “Since the beginning, everything EAD has done has been focused on the future. Every legislation enacted, every ecosystem restored, and every community empowered was a decision made for future generations. Thirty years of science, policy and partnerships have transformed Abu Dhabi’s environmental landscape and established the emirate as a model of what sustained, evidence-based stewardship can achieve.

“That same spirit now carries us forward. This new chapter is an acceleration, empowered by AI and innovation, defined by climate resilience and bold legislative ambition, and guided by an unwavering commitment to a net-zero carbon development, a healthier society, and a biodiversity-rich future. Three decades of measurable progress have set a firm foundation for the far-reaching ambitions ahead.”

EAD’s Strategic Plan (2026–2030) is built on decades of evidence and shaped through an intensive engagement process, drawing on more than 170 global benchmarks and more than 25 leading international experts. Structured around 9 interconnected priorities and 124 measurable indicators that track real environmental outcomes such as cleaner air, healthier seas, restored species and lower emissions, the strategy advances a clear vision of Abu Dhabi as a thriving environment, anchored in climate-resilience leadership, biodiversity restoration, environmental circularity, AI-enabled environmental intelligence, and community-led behavioural change.

Implementation has been underway since January 2026, with early progress across its priority areas and strengthened collaboration with government, industry, academia and community partners to support delivery. The 30th anniversary marks a cornerstone in this journey, giving renewed momentum to the plan’s priorities and reflecting EAD’s longstanding approach of pairing strategic ambition with smart, measurable action.

The 2026-2030 strategy positions EAD as both a guardian of the environment and a driver of environmental innovation and policy leadership. It marks a shift from reactive monitoring to predictive and preventative action, integrating artificial intelligence, digital twins, autonomous systems and advanced modelling to anticipate challenges before they arise. This transformation supports EAD’s ambition to become a fully AI-enabled environmental authority that is efficient, accurate and more collaborative across government and industry than ever before, advancing the UAE’s national direction to transition 50 per cent of government services to Agentic AI within two years, while charting its own path to 100 per cent AI-enabled environmental governance by 2030, directly underpinning Abu Dhabi’s contribution to the UAE’s net-zero trajectory.

To mark the occasion, EAD launched its 30 Years Protecting Tomorrow anniversary campaign: a year-long programme of storytelling, milestones and community engagement that celebrates the journey, honours the people behind it, and invites the wider community to be part of a shared future. Drawing on archival imagery and first-hand accounts from those who have helped shape EAD, the campaign brings the institution’s history to life while reaffirming the collective responsibility that continues to guide its work.