1. Emirate-Specific Grid Carbon Intensity: Dubai (DEWA) vs. Abu Dhabi (EWEC)
Geographic & Regulatory Applicability (UAE — Dubai DEWA / Abu Dhabi EWEC / Northern Emirates): Specific to facilities in the United Arab Emirates (AE) under [UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024](/guides/uae-sustainability/uae-federal-decree-law-11-2024-climate-change-compliance), DEWA Shams Dubai (DRRG) net metering, EWEC / Abu Dhabi DoE Clean Energy Certificates, and GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance for multinational parent groups in the UK, EU, and US.
The United Arab Emirates’ power sector is undergoing rapid structural decarbonization driven by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai and utility-scale solar PV (Noor Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra) plus the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi. Because generation mixes differ across Emirates, corporate sustainability teams should document the specific utility authority serving each facility rather than applying an outdated generic Middle East proxy:
| UAE Utility / Grid Authority | Emirate Coverage | Published Grid Emission Factor | Primary Source Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) | Emirate of Dubai | 0.4041 tCO2e/MWh (0.40410 kg CO2e/kWh, 2023 operating baseline; newer solar-integrated reports cite 0.3833 tCO2e/MWh) | DEWA Sustainability Report 2023 (used in GetSustainable.ai Methodology v1.0.0) |
| Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) | Emirate of Abu Dhabi & Northern Emirates supply | ~0.290 to 0.330 tCO2e/MWh (reflecting Barakah nuclear baseload and Al Dhafra / Noor Abu Dhabi utility solar dispatch) | EWEC Sustainability & Annual Generation Reports (verify exact reporting year table) |
Calculator Note: Our Corporate GHG Screening Calculator applies the verified DEWA Sustainability Report grid factor (0.40410 kg CO2e/kWh) as the pinned UAE baseline in Methodologyv1.0.0, and displays the exact source citation and publication year on every line-item output.
2. Shams Dubai Distributed Renewable Resources Generation (DRRG) Accounting
Under DEWA's Shams Dubai program, commercial and industrial buildings in Dubai connect rooftop or carport solar PV arrays directly behind the customer's DEWA smart meter under a net metering mechanism (see also our Commercial & Industrial Solar PV Procurement Guide):
For GHG Protocol Scope 2 compliance, facilities participating in Shams Dubai must reconcile two separate meter registers using commercial energy management software rather than relying solely on the net-billed kWh figure on the summary invoice:
- Gross Grid Import Register ($Q_{\text{Grid Import}}$): Multiplied by the DEWA location-based grid factor for Location-Based Scope 2.
- Onsite Solar Generation & Export Registers: Self-consumed solar reduces physical grid imports. If the facility retains all environmental attributes (and has not registered and sold the solar generation as I-RECs to a third party), self-consumed solar is accounted at
0 kg CO2e/kWh.
3. Procuring and Retiring UAE International RECs (I-RECs)
For facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, or Ras Al Khaimah seeking to reduce Market-Based Scope 2 electricity emissions via contractual instruments:
- Authorized Registry: UAE Clean Energy Certificates / International RECs (I-RECs) are issued under the I-TRACK Foundation framework (with MoCCAE and Abu Dhabi DoE / EWEC / DEWA recognized issuers) and retired on the Evident Registry.
- Single-Country Market Boundary: Only I-RECs generated inside the United Arab Emirates (such as Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, Noor Abu Dhabi, or Barakah Clean Energy Certificates) satisfy the GHG Protocol Scope 2 geographic boundary rule for UAE electricity consumption.
- Beneficiary Statement: Ensure the official Evident Retirement Statement names the exact legal entity, UAE facility address, MWh volume, and consumption vintage period.