UAE powering sustainability drive globally

The issue of biodiversity — conservation and development of wildlife — has received considerable and early attention in the UAE

Published: Mon 14 Mar 2022, 11:10 PM

The Krishnas, who have acquired forests in the UK and Canada, can take a leaf out of the young nation’s book.

Vikram and Monisha Krishna believe that every step counts and whatever little people can do can make a huge difference to save natural habitat.

The Krishnas, who consider themselves as global citizens, have acquired forests in the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada. Such sustainability moves need to be hailed.

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The UAE is powering the global sustainability bid. The issue of biodiversity — conservation and development of wildlife — has received considerable and early attention in the UAE.

It is reflected in the tremendous efforts made by the country and its significant achievements in this area, from enacting legislation and monitoring its implementation, establishing, and expanding protected areas, to protecting, breeding and reintroducing endangered species into their natural habitats.

The UAE’s visionary leadership considers land and sea diversity as an integral part of the young nation’s heritage.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) continues to work, in collaboration with its partners, to strengthen efforts in this context through the implementation of a wide range of plans and initiatives.

The Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) has also announced a policy to reduce the amount of single use plastic material in Abu Dhabi and mitigate its harmful effects.

The policy aims to keep plastics out of the environment and eliminate the use of avoidable single-use plastic materials through fostering a culture of recycling and re-use and encouraging more sustainable practices in the community.

The EAD made Abu Dhabi free of single-use plastic bags since last year.

Similarly, the Dubai Government will impose a tariff of 25 fils on single-use bags used for carrying goods, starting from July 1, 2022.

The policy will be evaluated over several stages until single-use carrier bags are completely banned within a span of two years, following the assessment of behavioural changes in the community.

The introduction of the policy to limit and ultimately ban single-use bags is aimed at strengthening Dubai’s sustainability objectives in line with global best practices for reducing the consumption of single-use bags.

The step supports the adoption of a green, low carbon economy in alignment with the Dubai Waste Management Strategy 2041and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced by the United Nations for 2030.

The sustainability drive is on show at the Expo 2020 Dubai, where 95 per cent of the landscape area is managed without the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilisers. Such pioneering initiatives make the UAE a future-ready nation as it embarks on celebrating the “Next 50”.

Published: Mon 14 Mar 2022, 11:10 PM