UAE to announce action plan for green growth strategy by end of this year

Abu Dhabi: The UAE will announce an action plan for the UAE Vision 2021 and the Green Growth Strategy by the end of this year, a senior official announced here at a recent forum.

Generating energy and compost from waste and promoting public transport will be some of the measures to adopt sustainability principles in seven core areas of the economy, said Aisha Al Abdouli, an expert at environmental affairs at the Ministry of Environment and Water, and in charge of the UAE Green Growth Strategy Office. She was speaking at a forum organised by the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG).

The action plan will set reasonable targets to achieve green growth in oil and gas, water and electricity, transportation, buildings, waste management, industry and economy, and land use and agriculture, the official said.

She said 70 stakeholders in both the public and private sector are involved in consultations to formulate the action plan that will be submitted for the consideration of the UAE Cabinet by September.

“The Cabinet is expected to consider and approve it by the end of this year,” Aisha said.

Generating sustainable energy, clean fuel, high-efficiency energy and clean technology will play a crucial role in green growth, she said.

It will enhance economic competitiveness, generate more jobs and investment in green industries, Aisha said.

Monir Bu Ganem, from ADSG, moderated the forum. Ahmad Lootah, project manager of UAE Vision 2021, and Sameer Assaf from the directorate of Energy and Climate Change, also took part in the discussions.

The officials said the UAE vision 2021 signifies that the nation wants to be a leader in green growth when it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its formation in 2021.

Although this is ambitious, it is possible, they said.

The UAE’s achievements in international standards in infrastructure within a short span of time supports this optimism.

The leadership feels that the bar for standards of achievement should always be high, they said.

The vision envisages a world-class lifestyle, health care, education and environmental conservation.

Considering the UAE’s record of having a high carbon footprint coupled with water scarcity, the green growth strategy is very relevant, Assaf said. The government spends heavily on subsidies that are not sustainable in the long term, he said.

As initiated by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the UAE joined the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) as a founding member and became a member of its council, the executive body, Assaf said.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding between the UAE and the institute, the GGGI opened an office for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) in Abu Dhabi in July 2011, he said.

The moderator involved the audience in the discussions, attracting valuable input on the topic.

New legislation will also be enacted to support the action plan, Aisha said.