Dubai: Employees at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) completed 4,000 volunteer hours under the Environmental Volunteering initiative, by participating in a series of events in 2017.
The initiative was launched in early 2017 as part of the ministry’s active contribution to the Year of Giving.
The volunteers participated in events organised by the Ministry, such as the Summer Environment Camps, Earth Hour and Shark Week, and in nationwide environmental activities of public and private sector entities.
“Under the Environmental Volunteering initiative … 617 employees of the Ministry registered 4,000 volunteer hours across 30 in-house and third-party activities. Apart from encouraging our own employees to volunteer, we are dedicated to developing volunteer programmes that engage all segments of the society,” said Taif Al Amiri, Director of the Government Communication Department at MOCCAE.
She said that through its initiatives during the Year of Giving, the ministry promoted the inherent social value of volunteering and highlighted its importance among the young generation.
“In partnership with Abu Dhabi International Airport, Dubai International Airport and City Centre Mirdif, we participated in the Earth Hour on March 25 by turning off the lights from 8pm to 9pm, resulting in substantial energy savings,” said Al Amiri.
She said at the Summer Environment Camps held in July and August, children not only focused on cleaning up specific land and sea areas, they were also educated on the most pressing environmental issues and introduced to the concepts of farming without soil as well as waste recycling.
The camps also held a series of story-writing competitions on environmental issues.
