UAE Council For Climate Change And Environment Holds Second Meeting Of 2021

DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2021) The UAE Council for Climate Change and Environment today held its second meeting of 2021 at the headquarters of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) in Dubai with Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, presiding over the meeting.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Al Nuaimi stressed the importance of the council’s meetings in boosting partnerships and collaboration between the public and private sectors as directed by the UAE leadership.

The meeting commenced with a review of the outcomes of the UAE Regional Dialogue, hosted in the capital, Abu Dhabi in early April 2021. By further reinforcing the UAE’s regional climate leadership, the event served as a shared platform for participating countries to agree on a uniform agenda for climate action ahead of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) set to run in Glasgow in the United Kingdom from 1st to 12th November, 2021.

During the high-level dialogue in Abu Dhabi, the UAE showcased its climate adaptation capacities, outlined the national environmental priorities, and highlighted its environmental protection efforts that focused on nature-based climate solutions and a robust clean and renewable energy transition.

Members of the council were briefed on the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2021-2031 – a general framework that identifies the optimal approach to support the transition to a circular economy, and its projected economic, environmental, and social benefits. These include increased disposable income through the reduced cost of products and services, higher productivity, lower demand for raw materials, lower CO2 emissions, surge in employment, the enhanced quality of life through easier access to goods and services, improved health outcomes through mitigating pollution and better availability of healthy and nutritious food.

To realise these benefits, the council outlined the next steps for the policy’s implementation and agreed on a proposed timeframe. The steps include establishing a baseline for the policy, developing an integrated system to collate and monitor circular economy-related data, and determining KPIs. In addition, the council recommended identifying high-impact opportunities to mainstream the circular economy across the country as well as likely barriers and suggested joining forces with the business sector to increase investments in the circular economy.

The council also discussed Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2021 that amended some of the provisions of the Cabinet Resolution No. 37 of 2001 concerning the executive regulations of the Federal Law No. 24 of 1999 for the protection and development of the environment. The new resolution factors in the developments in the industrial sector, and will help devise an integrated approach to assess and enhance the UAE’s environmental performance.

The council members also listened to a presentation on the national measures in place to sustain local ecosystems and biodiversity. These included the designation of 49 protected areas that comprise 10 Ramsar sites, the introduction of the digital application for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) certificate, and the federal plan to combat invasive species.