Tadweer Group on Wednesday unveiled plans to cut emissions across its operations by 40 per cent by 2035 in support of the UAE's sustainability programmes.
The group announced the key environmental goal for the next decade during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Ali Al Dhaheri, managing director and chief executive officer of Tadweer, told The National that the sector is going through a period of evolution, and the group aspires to be a local and regional champion in waste management.
“So whether it is within collection operations, whether it is treatment and recycling or waste to energy plants, there is an opportunity for us to drive and to pioneer new territories such as waste to sustainable aviation fuel,” said Mr Al Dhaheri.
Globally, it is estimated that the waste management industry contributes about 3 to 5 per cent of emissions – something Tadweer is keen to help in addressing.
Tadweer says the pathway aligns with the UAE's third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) or climate action plan. In the run-up to Cop29, the UAE was one of the first to release new NDCs, setting a target of reducing emissions by 47 per cent by 2035 compared to the 2019 baseline.
In 2024, Tadweer Group, together with partners, announced the development of an advanced waste-to-energy plant in Abu Dhabi.
Set to be completed in 2027, the project will be one of the largest in the region with an expected annual processing capacity of 900,000 tonnes of waste, enabling an expected carbon emissions reduction of 1.1 million tonnes per year.
The project is part of plans to divert 80 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste from landfills by 2030 – and instead create an energy source.
Mr Al Dhaheri said the plant will have the potential to power 80,000 homes with clean energy, which otherwise would have been “a huge landfill burden on the environment”.
A consortium led by Marubeni Corporation, which includes Kanadevia Inova and the Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban Development, has been selected to design, build and operate a new ultra-large waste-to-energy plant on behalf of the Emirates Water and Electricity Company and Tadweer Group.
Speaking at a panel at EcoWASTE Exhibition and Conference, part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Bruno-Frederic Baudouin, chief executive of Kanadevia Inova said “Waste-to-energy is one piece of what you can do with waste”.
“We are trying to develop additional technologies that go in synergy together with waste. Such as to recover metals, to recover some other chemicals, or bio-digestion of waste.”
Mr Baudouin said there is also the potential for carbon credit generation with such projects – “We are producing green energy. So if you capture then you can enter into the carbon credits. There is lots of value in producing green commodities”
In December, Environment Agency − Abu Dhabi announced that the carbon emissions of large companies are to be tracked and monitored.
The international standard carbon Measurement, Reporting, and Verification programme will require all centres that produce large amounts of carbon emissions to submit reports on an annual basis from 2026. To ensure transparency, the environment agency has mandated that the submissions must be verified by a third party.
The EAD said significant strides have been made towards introducing carbon pricing mechanisms, which traditionally form the basis for carbon emissions to either be taxed or to be offset via trading, in an effort to push towards lower-carbon economies.
Going forward, Mr Al Dhaheri said that the group is exploring ways in which AI can support transformation in the sector, as well as ensuring pricing for green energy from waste is cost effective “our ambition is to make it even more competitive than the conventional power prices.”
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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