Topic:
Country: United Arab Emirates
Delegate Name: Lidija Habekovic
Many countries, including the UAE, are largely dependent on fossil fuels. The use of
fossil fuels as a source of energy has several detrimental effects, especially on the environment,
as it causes global warming. The UAE acknowledges its dependence on fossil fuels, and its
high carbon emission rate, and hopes to decrease it, using reliable and clean energy sources
such as solar energy, nuclear energy, and hydropower energy.
The UAE has always been dependent on fossil fuels. Efforts have been made in the past
to decrease this high rate of dependence, although the UAE still emerges as one of the largest
emitters of carbon globally, behind Qatar and Kuwait. This is due to the fact that hydrocarbons
play a very large part in the UAE’s economy, with 30% of its GDP based on the oil and gas
industry. The UAE holds the seventh-biggest reserve of natural gas in the world, and as fossil
fuel demand increases around the world, it is more profitable than ever. The UAE has stated
that it targets to become a “net-zero” country by 2050, and has made steps toward that goal,
which include the building of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in 2012. The UAE has recognized
nuclear energy as a reliable and environmentally safe source of energy, and hopes to continue
to take advantage of this resource in the future.
The UAE recognizes the risks and downsides that come with using nuclear power.
Nuclear power plants produce tons of radioactive waste, which is hard to dispose of. Moreover,
it is difficult to, with a lot of waste, to protect people and the environment from the radiation
emitted by this waste. In conclusion, using nuclear power could be more detrimental to the
environment than it is beneficial. Additionally, uranium, the fuel that is used to produce nuclear
energy, is not renewable. Although the reserves are expected to last another eighty or so years,
uranium cannot be produced again and again on demand. Nuclear power plants also have
potential to be destroyed and have devastating impacts on the areas surrounding them. One
notable example of this is the Chernobyl accident in 1986. The harmful effects of events such as
this are still being seen in ecology and in humans.
The UAE thinks that nuclear energy has the potential to be a reliable source of energy in
the coming years. Despite the risks and downsides of using nuclear energy, nuclear power
produces a low amount of carbon, and has a higher capacity factor than fossil fuels. The UAE
proposes to conduct research on further benefits and downsides or risks of nuclear energy, so
as to be more informed on the impacts of using nuclear power. The UAE has also signed a deal
with the United States to work on clean energy projects, and reduce the reliance on fossil fuel.
The UAE looks forward to observing progress in reducing reliance on fossil fuels through the
use of nuclear energy.
