UAE Climate Change Law: GHG Measurement, Reporting and Decarbonisation

Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024 applies across the UAE, including free zones, and establishes emissions measurement, inventory, reporting, record-retention, reduction and adaptation requirements. The law took effect on 30 May 2025; the transition period for full compliance ended on 30 May 2026, with reported penalties ranging from AED 50,000 to AED 2 million. That shifts carbon management from voluntary ESG activity toward compliance risk.

What compliance actually requires

• Confirmed legal applicability and regulator-specific thresholds for your sector.
• Controlled Scope 1 and Scope 2 data with named owners.
• Relevant Scope 3 data — usually purchased goods, transport and business travel.
• Documented calculation methods with sources for emission factors.
• Auditable records retained for the period the regulator requires.
• A reduction plan that has been verified, not just published.
• Carbon performance embedded in capital-project and procurement decisions.

Common early-stage gaps

The most common gaps we see are (1) a spreadsheet inventory with no version control, (2) no clear boundary between operational and financial control, and (3) reduction targets that are not tied to any specific project pipeline. Fix those before worrying about advanced disclosures.