UAE plans green growth strategy

Dr Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, made this announcement during a press conference held on the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit on Thursday, which brought together Lars Lokke Rasmussen, former Prime Minister of Denmark and the Chair of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change and the Chief Executive Officer of Masdar.

He confirmed that the plan to develop a national strategy will progress within the next nine months.

“We are currently forming a steering committee that comprises relevant authorities, which aims to develop a roadmap for implementing the UAE’s strategies for green growth to be completed by the end of 2013. The UAE’s action plan focuses on four main pillars including policy development, data management and building local capacity, as well as the implementation of leading pilot projects in the field of green growth,” the UAE minister said.

For his part Dr Al Jaber said: “The UAE is proud of its active involvement in supporting the activities of GGGI in the region through its regional office in Masdar City, as well as sharing experiences with international partners by hosting Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

“Today’s announcement is the start of the UAE’s efforts to create a long-term national programme for green development and demonstrates the vision of our wise leadership in achieving a better future through securing sustainable economic growth and prosperity for the people of the UAE,” he added.

Lars Lokke Rasmussen, said: “The political determination and leadership by the United Arab Emirates government, which it has shown today to undertake a fundamental transformation of its economy through development of a national strategy for green growth, is tremendously admirable”.

He added: “I believe the UAE National Strategy for Green Growth has strong potential to demonstrate a compelling case for action from other hydrocarbon-based economies in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). I hope the UAE, as a ‘first mover’ among hydrocarbon-based economies, will become an important test ground to incubate innovative and implementation oriented policy and business models applicable to Mena as well as developing and emerging countries in other regions of the world.”

Today’s announcement about the UAE’s action plan to develop a long-term national programme for green growth is based on an initiative launched last year by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which strengthens the UAE’s achievements and its strategic initiatives to meet the environment sustainability standards, and promotes the use of green and clean technologies to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of natural resources.

To achieve green development, new mechanisms are required to promote innovation and technology diffusion. Therefore, investment in efficient infrastructure is necessary through the presence of educational institutions and advanced research, as well the hosting of forums and conferences to exchange ideas and, most importantly, building human capacity that is capable of activating real change.

In line with the UAE’s effort to diversify its economy and support global initiatives that promote clean energy and sustainable development, the UAE became a member of the GGGI in 2010, which established its Mena headquarters in Abu Dhabi in 2011, with an agenda to develop and promote the concept of green growth in the region.

GGGI officially started operating in June 2010, and is dedicated to supporting the implementation a new model for sustainable growth. The Institute seeks to achieve a set of objectives, including energy security, economic development, environmental sustainability, poverty reduction and green job creation, as well as strengthening social development.