Abu Dhabi: The UAE has joined hands with two international organisations under the United Nations Environment Programme, in a drive to help achieve a green economy.
The Ministry of Environment and Water is now a member of the Sustainable Public Procurement Programme (SSP), and the Consumer Information Programme, with both networks consisting of a number of experts that can help provide assistance and important policies on sustainability.
The SSP network which is made up of 81 partners from around the world, is aimed at raising awareness on green public procurement and implementing it within countries. The Consumer Information Programme consists of 52 partner organisations, and assists government agencies in providing information on products and their eco impact on the environment.
“The total government spending in the UAE accounts for 24 per cent of GDP. As the largest consumer, the government’s purchase of green products and services will provide a great opportunity to drive markets towards the green economy. Eco-labelling is the most effective way to inform consumers about the environmental impacts of products and encourage them to make better choices every day,” said Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, on the announcement.
“Participating in reputable international programmes such as these will help us choose the best practices and policy models that will be most suitable in the national context. We also wanted to showcase our steadfast commitment to the green economy efforts through these platforms in our aim to support other countries and contribute to the global community,” he added.
Dr Arab Hoballa, UNEP’s Chief of Sustainable Lifestyle, Cities and Industry, said he was looking forward to helping the UAE achieve its sustainability goals, “We look forward to further enhancing Sustainable Production and Consumption (SCP) in the UAE through their active participation in our networks, and thereby contributing to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, particularly the goal on SCP. Sustainable public procurement and access to sustainability information on goods and services are both crucial to achieving SCP,” he said.
“Sustainable public procurement acts as a driver for the supply of sustainable goods and services, while consumer information, such as third party verified labels on sustainability, ensures that all consumers can make informed daily purchasing decisions,” he added.
