The Dubai Municipality’s annual Car Free Day has been marked for February 5 this year and the offsetting of carbon emissions as a result of thousands of car owners voluntarily ditching their cars for a greater cause will be converted into cash donation for charity. With this double impact, the authorities have taken one more step in expanding the scope of the event.
Since its launch in 2010, the Dubai Car Free Day has followed an impressive trajectory of progress as each year an increasing number of people and entities go car free for a day, providing proof of Dubai’s commitment to international environmental agreements, such as the UN Convention on Climate Change (Kyoto Protocol), which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Vehicle emissions are the main source of air pollutants, accounting for 15 to 20 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. A 15-gallon fuel tank in a vehicle emits 140 kilos of carbon dioxide, and the annual emissions from a vehicle scale up to 4 tonnes, according to the Dubai Municipality. A 2015 World Health Organisation report revealed that the number of deaths attributed to diseases caused by air pollutants in Austria, Switzerland and France has exceeded 21,000 per year. This is more than the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents in these three countries, according to the report.
These statistics are not divorced from our actions, or decisions, regarding how frequently and how extensively we use our cars. As we slide in behind the steering wheel every day and head to wherever we wish, the question to ask of ourselves is, are we also helping the planet head anywhere good? The answer is not hard to arrive at. Remember this as we head to February 5.
