The Dubai Municipality have launched its corporate policy on climate change in support of the goals and directives of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his vision for green sustainable development for the Emirate of Dubai.
The Dubai Municipality's climate change policy is an extension of the initiatives and projects undertaken by the emirate at the corporate level to adapt to the impact of this phenomenon and support the process of transforming Dubai into a low-carbon green economy, Hussein Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said on the occasion.
The municipality has become one of the first government entities to produce a corporate climate change policy that will make Dubai number one in all fields, he noted. The policy outlines the main climate change issues which must be addressed, targeting both the reduction of emissions (mitigation) and adaptation to the impact of climate change with regard to all operations and activities of municipality services at the level of the emirate.
This policy is also in conjunction with many other programmes and initiatives adopted by the municipality in dealing with climate change, which includes the Car Free Day initiative, Blue Carbon Project, Coastal Protection Project, as well as projects concerned with the extraction of methane gas from the landfills, and waste-to-energy, he said.
The policy was developed using examples of international best practices, he revealed.
"These were not only from government sources, but from climate change policies of large international private sector corporations such as Intel and the Coca-Cola. Their corporate policies have paved the way for the implementation of many successful programmes and initiatives for climate change mitigation and adaptation," Lootah said.
The policy is in line with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2021, launched by the Executive Council of Dubai, headed by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council. It is also aligned with the UAE Vision 2021, which acknowledges that effects of climate change caused by human activities may already be occurring and could get worse in the future.
The vision expects the UAE to find ways to adapt to the expected impact of climate change by reducing vulnerabilities (weaknesses) by increasing the flexibility of communities, and environmental and economic systems, including the productive sectors and vital infrastructure.
The policy is a commitment of the government to take all necessary measures to protect the environment and conserve the natural resources of the emirate from the impacts of climate change, stated Alia Al Harmoudi, Director of the Environment Department.
Its main objectives are to spread awareness and knowledge about climate change, increase institutional capacities to manage this phenomenon, and facilitate collaboration amongst local and federal authorities to combat climate change, she added.
The launch of the policy is also in conjunction with the preparations in the UAE and the Emirate of Dubai for its participation at the 22nd Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention of the Parties on Climate Change (COP22), which will be held in Marrakech, Morocco from 7th to 18th, November. – AAMIR
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