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Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi |
In line with the UAE’s long-standing tradition of philanthropy and generosity to the people of the world, the UAE President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, declared 2017 as the Year of Giving. On this occasion, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, shared his thoughts on what giving means, in an article addressed to the whole nation.
“All of us have the capability and capacity to make a real difference in the lives of those around us. There are so many ways to give. We can give back to our environment — to clean beaches and deserts, to care for trees and to be kind to all inhabitants on our earth,” he wrote.
These wise words illustrate how giving goes hand in hand with sustainability and environmental protection and how important these concepts are to our leadership. In their shared vision, the leaders of our nation dream of a world that is aware of its moral obligation to safeguard our planet and its natural resources, and seek to engage all the world’s people to work towards this noble goal.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2017, one of the most significant global environmental events, has kicked off under the theme ‘Practical Steps towards a Sustainable Future’, bringing together government and business leaders from all over the world to translate the political outcomes of the United Nations climate talks into practical action.
Effective solutions
From January 12 to 21, 2017, the UAE’s capital city is the cynosure of the world as delegates from different countries converge to achieve one common goal — to make our planet a better place to live. The event provides a platform that enables world leaders and experts on various aspects of sustainability to identify effective solutions to some of the globe’s most pressing challenges over a 10-day period.
Global climate change envoys are busy brainstorming to formulate viable steps to control the adverse effects of climate change, in line with a modern sustainable lifestyle. Their efforts aim to promote environmental conservation, investment in eco-friendly agriculture and greater success in achieving global food security.
For the UAE, the event presents an ideal opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to implementing the Paris Agreement, ratified by 123 countries in December 2015 and hailed worldwide as a historic turning point in the goal of reducing global warming.
With a set of innovative programmes that other governments can emulate, we look forward to showcasing our capabilities in many areas, such as environmental conservation as well as clean and renewable energy. We are especially proud to share that throughout our inspiring journey. We have preserved the delicate balance between urban development and nature protection. We believe that our participation in ADSW will expand our insight into the best methods of safeguarding the region’s scant water resources.
On a global level, we can only maintain a successful track record in the field of sustainable development if we enable the relevant systems and laws to play a bigger role in controlling the impact of rapid industrial and technological development.
Nationwide green growth
In this context, we have recently established the UAE Council for Climate Change and Environment to draft the nation’s general policy concerning climate change, environmental issues and sustainable development. In addition, the Council will oversee the implementation of the UAE Green Agenda 2015-2030, adopted as the framework for nationwide green growth initiatives, in close cooperation with national and local authorities as well as the private sector.
Furthermore, a few years ago, we witnessed the launch of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Vision 2030, which plays a key role in combating climate change. Implementing this vision will bring the UAE to the forefront of the environmental protection arena, in tune with our national successes in diverse fields. Other cornerstones of our efforts are the UAE Vision 2021 that guides the overall development of the country and the Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative launched in 2012.
I close with a heart-felt wish for 2017 that all members of society live up to the expectations of our wise leadership and do their part to protect the environment in order to pave the way for a better life for future generations.
