ABU DHABI, 26th October, 2018 (WAM) -- Protection of environment and sustainable development are key topics that receive great attention from the UAE government right from the beginning, an editorial in a local English language daily has said.
The editorial, in today's edition of The Gulf Today, added, "Bringing together world-class experts in critical sectors from around the world to directly focus on advancing the global green economy and sustainability agenda, the World Green Economy Summit (WGES) held in Dubai has become a leading global forum on green economy."
The summit has been successfully showcasing innovative solutions to inspire change and align stakeholders with policy makers to create a facilitative environment and ecosystem for sustainable green growth that address current and future needs.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy in Dubai, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Electricity And Water Authority, and Chairman of WGES 2018 has rightly called on world leaders to join hands to face the challenges caused by climate change and global warming through initiatives and solutions based on clean energy.
As he points out, a number of clean energy projects launched in the UAE including the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Masdar, in addition to various projects undertaken through public-private partnerships aim to enhance environmental sustainability.
In November, Dubai will also organise an international competition for universities to design buildings based on solar energy. A second edition of the event will take place during Expo 2020.
The first edition of the WGES saw the launch of the first green finance fund worth AED2.4 billion that forms part of the AED100 billion "Dubai Green Fund" initiative.
"A clean and green environment will not only be beneficial for humanity, but also help protect endangered species, fish, and water from pollution, contributing to food security, and increasing the productivity of agricultural crops as a result of the elimination of chemical and gas contaminants," noted the editorial comment.
Taking the green initiatives further, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has launched the "UAE Green Dashboard," an online open data platform that allows the public to access statistical data assessments of the country’s overall progress in its transition into a green economy. The dashboard is accessible via the ministry’s website in both Arabic and English, and allows anyone to access the underlying data for the UAE Green key performance indicators.
"Introducing effective policies to foster the growth of the green economy is the best way forward. It is heartening that events such as the WGES help achieve that goal swiftly and efficiently," concluded the Sharjah-based daily.