When it comes to carbon emissions, a good number of countries make big talk about reducing them, but in reality they are just increasing the toxic fumes. For instance, scientists have detected a large gap, equal to about what the United States emits annually, between the amount of climate-warming emissions that countries report and the amount that independent models say reaches the atmosphere.

Incidentally, China and the United States are among the world’s top countries with the highest number of toxic carbon emissions, according to a report.

China’s annual greenhouse gas emissions stood at 27% of the world total in 2019, exceeding combined OECD emissions for the first time, a recent report says.

This is because most countries just pay lip service to reducing the carbon footprint. This would have helped curbed the impact of climate change. Perhaps there would have been less floods, or even forest fires. But,alas, this is not to be.

Air pollution is one thing that is anathema to the UAE. In fact, the air here is as fresh as a daisy. And the UAE makes a lot of effort to ensure that the environment stays clean.

Sustainability is key. It is in its sincere attempts to be carbon neutral that the UAE goes up by several notches. Its Barakah nuclear energy plant, far from making weapons for war, is as peaceful as peaceful can be.

What it has achieved is a major milestone in not just its growth, but also all-round progress. By connecting Unit 2 of the Barakah nuclear power plant to the UAE national grid, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) has made another giant leap in the UAE Nuclear Energy Programme, which will lead to the full commercial operation of Unit 2.

Unit 2 is now generating the first megawatts of clean electricity, five months after the start of commercial operations for Unit 1 of the plant.

“The phase is another historic milestone for the UAE Nuclear Energy Programme, which will lead to the full commercial operation of Unit 2. Since its establishment in 2009, FANR has issued regulations and regulatory guides, and conducted reviews and robust inspections to reach this milestone for the region’s first nuclear power plant to ensure its safety and security,” the FANR said.

Suhail Bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister for Energy and Infrastructure, has praised the progress made in the UAE’s transition to clean energy sources.

These efforts contribute to achieving the goals of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to increase the share of clean energy in the total energy mix to 50%, he said.

“We are proud of this new milestone accomplished within the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme. The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant plays a pivotal role in achieving the UAE’s goals of diversifying energy sources, increasing the share of clean energy resources and supporting economic and social development, as well as meeting the UAE’s objectives and international commitments to address the challenges of climate change,” said Al Mazrouei.

The Barakah Plant contributes to consolidating the UAE’s leading role in the regional and global energy sectors, as the plant is now the largest single generator of electricity in the Arab world. It is also the largest contributor to reducing carbon emissions in the region, positioning the UAE as the first Arab country to have a multi-unit nuclear energy plant in operation.

It simply adds more prestige value to the UAE in the global nuclear industry.

Within months, Unit 2 will start commercial operations along with Unit 1, doubling the amount of clean electricity produced by the plant and the volume of carbon emissions saved. This constitutes a major boost to the UAE’s efforts to sustain comprehensive development and protect the environment.