A sustainability report can contain accurate emissions figures and still communicate an inaccurate result. A missing baseline year, an ambiguous technical term or a target expressed more strongly in Arabic than in English can change what readers understand—even when the underlying numbers remain the same.
As the UAE strengthens its requirements for emissions measurement, reporting and verification, consistency between language versions deserves closer attention. For companies publishing in Arabic and English, both versions need to preserve the same figures, definitions, methodologies and commitments.
A more demanding reporting environment
Federal Decree-Law No. (11) of 2024 on the Reduction of Climate Change Effects, which came into force on 30 May 2025, provides the foundation for the UAE’s emissions reporting framework. Its scope includes free zones, while specific measurement and reporting duties apply to sources designated by the relevant authorities. Those duties include measuring emissions, submitting periodic reports, providing information on reduction measures and retaining emissions records for five years.
Abu Dhabi has added a further layer. On 21 September 2026, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) announced Resolution No. (03) of 2026, establishing a framework for greenhouse gas emissions measurement, reporting and verification. Facilities in targeted sectors that meet the specified emissions thresholds must submit their emissions reports for verification by verifiers registered and accredited with EAD.
For listed companies, these developments sit alongside existing sustainability disclosure requirements and exchange guidance. Together, they create a reporting environment in which emissions information serves several audiences, including regulators, verifiers and investors.
These requirements serve different purposes and do not apply identically to every organisation. Their practical implication, however, is clear: companies need reliable information and consistent explanations wherever that information appears.
The same data, the same meaning
Emissions figures can appear in regulatory submissions, sustainability reports, annual reports, investor presentations and press releases. When this material is published in both Arabic and English, consistency must extend beyond the numbers.
Consider a company reporting a reduction in Scope 2 emissions intensity against a 2022 baseline. The English report may clearly identify the emissions category, the measure of intensity, the baseline year and the calculation methodology. If the Arabic version describes a reduction in total emissions instead of emissions intensity, it communicates a different result. If it omits the baseline year, readers lose essential context for the comparison.
The figures may have been copied correctly, but the disclosure no longer conveys the same information.
Translation therefore needs to form part of the reporting review process. The Arabic version should preserve the definitions, boundaries and qualifications that allow readers to interpret the data accurately.
Technical terms and commitments need precision
Sustainability reporting brings together specialised language from climate science, finance, governance and regulation. Terms such as carbon dioxide equivalent, location-based and market-based emissions, offsets, removals and transition plans require precise treatment.
Arabic equivalents can vary between organisations and reference sources. An agreed bilingual glossary helps ensure that each term is used consistently and that distinct concepts remain distinct. Net zero and carbon neutrality, for example, should not be treated as interchangeable labels.
The wording of commitments requires equal care. A company may aim to achieve a result, expect to achieve it or formally commit to achieving it. A target may also depend on financing, technology or other conditions.
These distinctions must survive translation. An aspiration should retain its degree of uncertainty, and a conditional commitment should retain its conditions. Otherwise, the Arabic and English reports can present different accounts of the company’s intentions.
Build bilingual accuracy into the workflow
The most effective way to support consistency is to plan the Arabic version early, with time for terminology decisions, specialist review and publication checks.
A robust process should include:
- An agreed bilingual glossary: Define key terms for emissions scopes, metrics, methodologies, targets and company initiatives before translation begins.
- Specialist translation and review: Use translators familiar with sustainability reporting, followed by a separate specialist editor.
- Checks of figures and context: Compare numbers, units, percentages, dates, baseline years and footnotes against the approved source.
- Control of late changes: Track amendments to the English report and confirm that each relevant update reaches the Arabic version.
- Clear version approval: Ensure that both language versions receive final review before publication.
These steps help prevent small inconsistencies from accumulating across a report, particularly when several teams are contributing under a tight deadline.
Review the designed Arabic report
Accuracy checks should continue after the text moves into the final layout.
Sustainability reports rely heavily on charts, tables and infographics. Adapting them for an Arabic publication requires careful handling of right-to-left text alongside numbers, units, abbreviations and scientific notation.
Reviewers should check that chart labels match the correct data series, legends remain clear, table headings align with their values and footnotes stay attached to the information they explain. Chart direction should follow the meaning of the data and the intended reading experience; automatic mirroring can introduce errors.
A final review of the typeset Arabic report can catch problems that were absent from the translation document but appeared during design.
Consistent disclosure in both languages
As the UAE’s emissions reporting and verification frameworks develop, companies have stronger reasons to examine how their sustainability information is communicated across documents and languages.
Accurate Arabic translation supports that work by preserving the meaning of the data, the limits of the methodology and the strength of each commitment. Readers of either version should come away with the same understanding.
At e-Arabization, we help organisations prepare Arabic sustainability and annual reports through specialist translation, terminology management, editing and Arabic desktop publishing. Planning these services early gives reporting teams time to resolve questions and deliver a consistent final publication.