UAE launches first State of Green Economy Report

Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, on Monday launched the first UAE State of Green Economy Report, which seeks to help the country make solid advances towards a green economy, by providing the public with a clear overview of the government’s plan and diverse public and private efforts, as well as benchmarking the country’s current standing During a launch ceremony on the sidelines of World Future Energy Summit (WFES 2015), the minister said the report was the fruit of constructive cooperation between the different sectors involved in the process of development.
The report, he noted, seeks to present the country’s current status according to international benchmarking, and the progress made on diverse public and private initiatives. It will report on a regular basis in order to help the country to take the right course and make solid advances towards a Green Economy. The first edition explains the rationale for the Green Growth Strategy, and introduces the plan and structure for its implementation. It is hoped that this report will help the reader understand the UAE national context and be encouraged to take part in the ongoing and forthcoming initiatives. This publication is the first of its kind in the world, in that it reports Green Economy status at country level.
Accordingly, we have put our best efforts into establishing a valuable benchmark for capturing the country’s status and for measuring performance. Based on this, we hope other countries can also engage in similar practices. The report also guides the reader to good practices and the experiences of public and private-sector initiatives aiming for Green Economy in the UAE and around the world, and outlines promising green investment opportunities.
In January 2012, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, launched the UAE Green Growth Strategy as a long-term national initiative under the slogan "A Green Economy for Sustainable Development". Under this strategy, many public and private initiatives are burgeoning, aiming to enhance the country’s competitiveness and the sustainability of its development.
The first edition of the UAE State of Green Economy Report also includes a substantial amount of background information to help domestic and international readers to understand the UAE’s national context and its prospects for transition to a Green Economy. The reporting period of this edition is principally from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2014.
Highlights: :: Chapter 1: The UAE Approach towards an Inclusive Green Economy introduces the UAE’s socio-economic background and explains the rationale, focuses and potential benefits of greening the economy.
:: Chapter 2: Sectoral Initiatives towards a Green Economy provides highlights of ongoing public and private-sector efforts to enable Green Economy in the country’s nine key sectors: Oil and Gas; Water and Electricity; Industry; Buildings, Construction and Real Estate; Transport and Logistics; Waste Management; Land-use and Agriculture; Financial Services; and Tourism and Hospitality.
:: Chapter 3: Measuring the Transformation towards a Green Economy reports the UAE’s performance measured according to the 30 UAE Green Economy Indicators. The performance data sets a baseline for regular monitoring and establishing future targets.
:: Chapter 4: Future Outlook: The UAE Green Agenda outlines the governance and programmatic structure for implementing the Green Growth Strategy, potential Green Economy actions, and next steps.
:: Chapter 5: Inclusive Green Economy from a Global Perspective is contributed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It introduces other leading countries’ approaches to Green Economy, and how the United Nations aims to support the Green Economy transition and to mobilise green financing and investment around the world.
In June 2012, more than 190 nations, including the UAE, agreed at the United Nations Rio+20 Summit on Green Economy as one of the important tools available for the achievement of sustainable development and poverty eradication.
Minister bin Fahad noted that the UAE’s successful economic development means that the country has faced serious environmental challenges arising from the record pace of growth in population, energy and water demand, and urban areas.
However, with the objective set out under the UAE Vision 2021 to become among the best countries in the world, the country has decided to steer its course towards Green Economy and to achieve green objectives and economic growth simultaneously. Under the UAE Green Growth Strategy, the UAE seeks to become a global hub and a successful model of the new economy through the enhancement of the country’s competitiveness and the sustainability of its development, thus preserving its environment for future generations.
Following the launch, the strategy began to be implemented with the acceleration of greening efforts in both the public and private sector. Initiatives were commenced or scaled up in energy diversification, renewable energy deployment, resource efficiency enhancement, waste reduction and recycling, green building, sustainable transport systems, energy and water-saving home appliances, etc. In the coming years, relevant national and local policies will be reinforced in a more coordinated manner, and industry and citizens will be encouraged to come up with more eco-innovative solutions and to adopt more environmentally sound behaviour.
As part of the its contributions to the international community that promotes Green Economy, the UAE hosted the first Global Conference on the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) with UN agencies in March 2014.
Over 650 participants from 66 countries, including 27 Ministers, shared a clear sense of urgency to pursue a low-carbon, socially inclusive and resource-efficient development model that improves human well-being and values natural capital. It was decided to hold another conference in Dubai, taking place simultaneously with the Expo 2020.