The UAE's landmark climate change law is in force and the grace period ends 30 May 2026. Here is a plain guide to what it requires, who it affects, and how to get compliant without expensive consultants.
Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024 on Climate Change is the UAE's most significant environmental legislation. Every company operating in the UAE — mainland or free zone — needs to understand what it requires and act before the grace period closes on 30 May 2026.
The law mandates that UAE-registered businesses monitor, measure, and report on their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in accordance with MOCCAE (Ministry of Climate Change and Environment) guidelines. Reporting must follow internationally recognised standards, and Transparabl's platform is built to be 100% MOCCAE compliant.
Key obligations include:
The law applies to all UAE and free zone businesses, not just large corporations. There is no employee threshold or revenue floor — if you operate in the UAE, you are subject to the law.
In practice, compliance is most meaningful — and most achievable — for companies with 25–250 employees. At this size, your emissions profile is significant enough to matter, and software can automate the heavy lifting without requiring a full sustainability team.
The law has been in force since 2024, but a grace period was granted to allow businesses time to set up their reporting infrastructure. That grace period ends on 30 May 2026.
Companies that are not reporting by then risk:
Do not wait until May 2026 to start. A proper GHG inventory takes 2–3 months the first time around.
Step 1: Establish your organisational boundary Decide whether you will use operational control, financial control, or equity share approach to define which operations are in scope.
Step 2: Identify emission sources Map all sources across your organisation: office energy, company vehicles, refrigerants, business travel, and — if applicable — manufacturing and industrial processes.
Step 3: Collect activity data Gather consumption data (kWh of electricity, litres of fuel, km of travel) for the reporting year.
Step 4: Apply emission factors Convert activity data to CO₂e using MOCCAE-approved or internationally recognised emission factors (GHG Protocol, IPCC, IEA).
Step 5: Calculate and verify Sum all emissions by category, have the methodology reviewed, and prepare your MOCCAE submission.
Many UAE businesses also have operations or investors in Europe and need to understand how UAE FDL 11-2024 and the EU's CSRD interact.
| UAE FDL 11-2024 | EU CSRD | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | All UAE businesses | Large EU companies + listed SMEs |
| Standard | MOCCAE guidelines | ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) |
| Scope 3 | Recommended | Mandatory for large companies |
| Assurance | Required | Limited → Reasonable assurance over time |
If you need to comply with both, Transparabl handles both frameworks from a single data entry point.
Transparabl's UAE module is purpose-built for FDL 11-2024 compliance. It guides you through the organisational boundary setting, emission source identification, and calculation — and produces a MOCCAE-ready report in a format you can submit directly.
Ready to get compliant before the May 2026 deadline? Book a UAE demo and we will walk you through the platform in 30 minutes.
See how Transparabl automates FDL 11-2024 compliance — MOCCAE-ready in days, not months.
