With climate change continuing to be one of the most dominant, troublesome and complicated issues facing the global community, the continued development of sustainable, clean energy is more critical than ever.

While the UAE has for over half a century benefited from the production of oil, it can now use one of its other natural resources — sunlight — to help drive the update of clear energy.

Yesterday’s unveiling of the second phase of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is expected to generate 200 megawatts (MW) of clean energy — enough to power 50,000 homes annually — is exactly the kind of project that energy-producing nations should be working on.

The solar park is a multi-phase project that’s expected to generate 1,000MW by 2020 and 5,000MW by 2030 for a total investment of Dh50 billion. The second phase of the park is estimated to save annual carbon emissions of up to 214,000 tonnes.

Once completed, the solar park will produce clean energy that could reduce carbon emissions by more than 6.5 million tonnes annually.

The timing of this park is auspicious because it comes at a time of low energy prices. Typically, advances in new energy technologies only happen during times of high energy prices, since only then is the expensive research and development seen as economically justified.

The opposite is now true. Oil and gas prices have been halved over the last four years, and new technology has resulted in the flooding of oil markets with cheap products.

In an attempt to retain market share, many oil producers have increased their output. The end result is that the global community is consuming fossil-based fuels at record pace, despite being aware of the need to cut carbon emissions.

The Dubai government, and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) in particular, should be lauded for having the political will to drive solar projects against the popular wave of cheap gas. It is only through similar developments that the world will find a way to wean itself off carbon-producing energies.

As is the case with most new technologies, the first steps are usually the most difficult. Now that the UAE has successfully shown the world that solar energy parks can be produced and utilised as part of a national strategy, they will be able to help other nations initiate their own clean energy programmes, further helping the world’s environment.