The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has announced its decarbonisation strategy, pledging to achieve Net Zero by 2045, five years ahead of the UAE’s 2050 target. Revealed at the Future Sustainability Forum 2024, the strategy focuses on cutting emissions across operations, construction, and supply chains, emphasising genuine reductions without relying on carbon offsetting or trading. Alongside this, DIFC launched its first Sustainability Progress Report, Building a Sustainable Future: DIFC’s Path to Impact, outlining its sustainability milestones and future plans.
Essa Kazim, DIFC governor, highlighted the need for collaboration to address climate challenges, describing the strategy as a benchmark for global financial hubs. The forum, attended by over 500 investors and 100 speakers, fostered discussions on sustainable finance, green innovation, and net-zero ambitions. It also hosted the Climate Tech World Cup, showcasing start-ups like Baynunah Watergeneration Technologies and Sirius Energy with solutions for pressing environmental issues.
DIFC’s influence extends to the UAE’s sustainable finance sector, which recorded $10.7bn in green bond issuances in 2023—a 170% annual increase. Through initiatives like the DIFC Sustainable Finance Catalyst, launched at COP28, the centre aims to mobilise $100bn in green investments by 2030, supporting innovations and AI-driven sustainability hubs. These efforts strengthen DIFC’s role in driving the UAE’s green transition.
