The UAE government wants to ensure sustainable development while preserving the environment — part of the Vision 2021 and Green Growth strategy. This means improving the country’s air, preserve water resources, increasing the contribution of clean energy and implementing green growth.
But how does a country with one of the largest ecological footprints per capita in the world drive sustainability in the region? GN Focus finds out.
With sustainability being the core theme of Expo 2020 along with Dubai announcing its goal to be one of the most sustainable cities in the world and the progress being made at developing the carbon-neutral Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, the country has made great strides in infrastructure — in both transportation and ICT — and sustainable building legislation.
Dubai Police has unveiled electric mini-cars and motorbikes, while the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) also spearheaded the launch of hybrid taxis.
Furthermore, apart from groundbreaking research and development in clean energy and water, there’s the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world, Shams 1, and a further multi-billion dollar investment in solar energy with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
Dr Nawal Al Hosany, Director of Sustainability at Masdar, tells GN Focus sustainability has always been part of the UAE’s cultural fabric. “Our country’s founder, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, championed economic, environmental and social sustainability throughout his life.
“But we have some challenges living in this part of the world: temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius in the summer, fresh water is scarce and strong winds drive powerful sand storms. And the UAE’s strong economic growth is driving rising energy demand, which is growing at 9 per cent annually,” says Dr Al Hosany.
Changing lanes
Masdar is taking a direct approach towards transforming from a petro-based to a knowledge-based economy with a focus on research and development of advanced energy and sustainable technologies. Part of this is the building of Masdar City, which when completed, will be one of the most sustainable cities in the world. “We see Masdar as proof of a working concept for a global sustainable city — if we can make sustainability work in the harshest climate in the world, then surely cityscapes around the globe can be adapted to meet the needs of the future,” says Dr Al Hosany.
“Masdar City is guided by the three principles of sustainability — economic, environmental and social. It is a living laboratory for low-energy use, low-carbon, low-waste technologies that can be piloted on site,” she says.
“In terms of living, it combines passive and intelligent design. It has natural shade, narrow corridors and a giant wind tower in the centre that captures prevailing winds, funnelling cool air through the city. By incorporating green and recycled materials that reflect heat, Masdar City residents enjoy a noticeably cooler environment — up to 20 degrees cooler than in downtown Abu Dhabi. Our buildings are designed to reduce energy demand by 40 per cent and portable water demand by 40 per cent.”
Masdar has also been instrumental in the development of the UAE’s current sustainability standards through the Estidama initiative (Arabic for sustainability), which adapts international standards to our local harsh climate.
Habiba Al Marashi is Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), a local NGO dedicated to protecting the UAE’s environment. With all the possibilities for economic growth brought about by Expo 2020, EEG works closely with the government to ensure growth happens in a sustainable, environmentally and socially responsible way. “We begin our awareness campaigns in schools and colleges, as these are the future generation,” says Al Marashi.
“We believe education is the first step towards any kind of change but is only effective if is converted into hands-on action. For this purpose, EEG’s campaigns spread awareness about the importance of environmental preservation and encourage everyone to get physically involved to protect nature.”
Awareness the first step
Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Founder and Managing Director of Goumbook, the Middle East’s portal for all things green, believes the UAE’s push towards sustainability will impact both companies and individuals. “We need to have everyone involved, not only governments,” Abella tells GN Focus. “We need to support the establishment of green businesses so they can flourish in the region, as well as giving citizens all the tools and infrastructure possible to allow them a better and more sustainable life.”
Goumbook not only creates awareness and engages the community but has also developed different programmes including the Give a Ghaf initiative, which has planted more than a thousand trees indigenous to the region. The organisation also encourages people to connect with the environment, raising awareness on water scarcity and the importance of sustainable living.
As well as supporting the government’s Green Economy Partnership, which launched the Green Deal that allows consumers to buy and sell energy products and services online, Goumbook is launching a Green Directory for the region to help companies and individuals connect with green businesses.
It also spearheads the 1millionwomen movement, promoting and connecting a group of inspirational women from the UAE and wider region who act on climate change through their way of living.
Cleaning up the country
The EEG will be rolling out the 14th cycle of the Clean-Up UAE campaign in a different emirate every day from December 5. The initiative aims to bring together individuals, families and organisations from a variety of backgrounds, all of whom call the UAE home and share a common goal of making it a leading eco-friendly and sustainable country.
“Last year, an impressive 123,176 individuals worked tirelessly and managed to divert 94 tonnes of waste from landfills,” says Al Marashi. “This year’s campaign aims to get even more people involved with a target of 125,000 collecting and disposing of waste.
“The objective is to give the UAE population the tools to make a positive change in their communities — not only building up community spirit but also moulding our youth to become environmental leaders.”
To further spearhead youth involvement, the EEG has initiated the Inter-College Environmental Public Speaking competition, held during Innovation Week. “This regional university-level competition serves as a forum for the expression of ideas and thoughts and provide the platform to the future generation to develop innovative approaches to address the issues around sustainability,” explains Al Marashi.
However, she cautions that one of the biggest challenges in the UAE is a focus on consumerism. “My aim is to get the focus of the population on something much more important than all of us — the environment. All of us have begun to take Mother Nature for granted and it is important that we succeed in changing that. We must practice conservation of resources and aim to reduce their carbon footprint to ensure a sustainable future.
“Companies should encourage employees to be more green and sustainable,” says Al Marashi.
Eyes on the prize
Dr Al Hosany is also the founder of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, which rewards pioneers in renewable energy and sustainable development who have been finding solutions to the challenges of climate change, energy security and the environment. In seven years, the winners have helped improve the lives of more than 150 million people worldwide.
Dr Al Hosany believes women need to play a far more active role in meeting the climate change and energy challenges of the future. To this end, Masdar recently launched WiSER, a UAE-led initiative for women in sustainability, environment and renewable energy. “Ultimately, the challenges the UAE face are also economic opportunities.
“Through innovation and technology creation, we are simultaneously bolstering and diversifying the country’s economy,” she says.
The big picture
Since its establishment in 2006, Masdar has positioned the country on the front line of clean energy, investing more than $1.7 billion (Dh6.2 billion) and delivering some 1.5GW of renewable power projects globally. Suhail Al Mazroui, UAE Minister of Energy, said recently the UAE’s investments in green energy will reach $35 billion by 2021.
Furthermore, the UAE’s green economy should create 160,000 jobs by 2030 and boost GDP by 5 per cent, according to a Climate Group report.
“I think the UAE is being globally recognised for its low carbon leadership both in the projects in place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai alike, and the companies that are also coming on board,” said Chief Executive Mark Kenber.
