Abu Dhabi, UAE | January 2026 — Carbon Forward Middle East 2026 (CFME 2026) concluded successfully in Abu Dhabi on 14–15 January 2026, marking the second edition of the region’s flagship carbon markets conference. The event was held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) as an officially featured event under Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), hosted by Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company), in collaboration with the World Future Energy Summit (WFES).
The conference was organised by Carbon Pulse and Redshaw Advisors, with Offset8 Capital serving as a strategic partner. Building on the momentum of its inaugural edition in 2025, Carbon Forward Middle East 2026 further strengthened its position as a leading platform for carbon market dialogue, policy exchange, and investment engagement across the Middle East and beyond.
The opening session set a high-level tone for the conference, featuring a keynote address by H.E. Amb. Majid Al Suwaidi, CEO of ALTÉRRA, followed by welcome remarks from H.E. Edward Hobart CMG, His Majesty’s British Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. The opening underscored the growing importance of carbon markets in supporting climate policy, economic diversification, and climate finance in the region.
Carbon Forward Middle East 2026 convened more than 300+ participants from over 25+ countries, bringing together senior representatives from government, industry, finance, and international organisations. Attendees included representatives from the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Türkiye’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), alongside regional and global institutions such as ALTÉRRA, ADNOC Group, Casablanca Finance City, VCM, AD Ports Group, Fertiglobe, IETA, Shell, OQ Trading, Howden, Alshaya Group, and GGGI Morocco, among others.
Across two days of keynote speeches, panel discussions, and technical sessions, the programme examined the development of robust and credible carbon market ecosystems to support national and regional net-zero goals. Discussions addressed the advancement of the UAE carbon market, regional and global market outlooks, implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, readiness for compliance markets including CORSIA, and the role of carbon markets in mobilising capital for mitigation, adaptation, and real-economy decarbonisation. As the Middle East’s only dedicated carbon market conference, CFME 2026 reaffirmed the central role of carbon markets in the region’s climate and investment strategies.
The conference also featured a Women in Carbon networking breakfast on the second day, reflecting continued efforts to amplify the voices of women working across carbon markets and climate finance, and marking a notable increase in participation compared to the previous year.
Carbon Forward Middle East 2026 was supported by a broad range of partners and sponsors. Louis Dreyfus Company participated as Gold Sponsor, with AlliedOffsets, Climate Balanced, ICE, MSCI Carbon Markets, Ostrom Climate Solutions Inc., and Sylvera supporting as Silver Sponsors, and BeZero Carbon, Climate Finance Partners (CLIFI), Gold Standard, and Verra as Bronze Sponsors.
With strong institutional engagement and growing international participation, Carbon Forward Middle East 2026 highlighted Abu Dhabi’s role as a regional hub for carbon market development and climate finance, reinforcing the Middle East’s increasing influence within the global carbon market landscape.
On the sidelines of Carbon Forward Middle East 2026, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) — the world’s largest non-profit association dedicated to carbon markets — formally launched the IETA MENA Carbon Markets Taskforce. The initiative is supported by Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), Offset8 Capital, and 1PointFive, reflecting growing regional and institutional commitment to advancing carbon market development across the Middle East and North Africa.
The Taskforce will serve as a dedicated platform for structured engagement and technical exchange between policymakers, corporates, and private sector stakeholders across key MENA jurisdictions. Its work will focus on supporting compliance market design, enhancing readiness for Article 6 implementation, and advancing CORSIA implementation, with the objective of promoting credible, transparent, and interoperable carbon markets aligned with international best practice.
