UAE expands Green Certificates programme to factories and production plants

The UAE’s government has announced that it is extending its ‘Green Certificates’ programme to include factories and production plants. The move is part of the country’s ambition to accelerate the decarbonization of its industrial base.

The ‘National Green Certificates’ programme, which launched in July 2024, is a scheme which promotes environment friendly building practices for commercial buildings. The programme incentivizes organizations to adopt best practices in energy efficiency and sustainability through a holistic evaluation system covering energy, water, emissions, and innovation.

The scheme’s enlargement now sees factories, production plants, mills and other similar facilities included into the national framework.

Commenting on the development, Anu Chaudhary, Partner and Global Head of ESG Consulting at Uniqus, said: “The UAE’s decision to extend the Green Certificates programme to include factories and other production facilities is a significant step in building a comprehensive national framework for assessing and certifying sustainable industrial facilities.”

A central feature of the programme is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to uncover opportunities for sustainable improvement. The focuses is on water and energy efficiency, but also on the quality and sustainability of industrial processes.

“AI-driven measurement makes it possible to benchmark operational performance and environmental sustainability against the best global practices in a consistent and auditable way,” said Chaudhary.

The programme will enable factories to apply for certification based on defined criteria, while benefiting from incentives and competitive advantages that support their transition toward low-emission operations and strengthen their presence in regional and global markets.

“This development supports the accelerated adoption of clean technologies and the establishment of national performance benchmarks that enhance competitiveness and contribute to reaching the UAE’s goals in trying to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” Chaudhary said.

Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said that the introduction of ‘Green Certificates’ in the factory environment represents a strategic step in accelerating the transition to a more sustainable industrial sector in the United Arab Emirates.