UAE’s eco drive spotlights clean atmosphere

The UAE is very particular about keeping its environment neat and clean. Every now and then, it carries out campaigns to see that the roads, beaches and parks are free of the clutter and litter that are a given in some countries. In this regard, the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) has been doing pathbreaking work.

For its 25th Cycle of the Can Collection Day, it roped in the participation of more than 200 entities from all over the country. It is with the help and true efforts of numerous corporations, hotels, academic institutions and families that EEG managed to collect 1,500 kg of aluminium cans for recycling on Thursday.

Abu Dhabi aims to substantially reduce its consumption of single-use plastic by 2021.

Targets set by the UAE include treating 75 per cent of municipal solid waste by 2025 and 85 per cent by 2035, and reducing municipal solid waste generation to 1.4kg per person per day by the year 2025. When it comes to environmentally sound chemical management, plans include increasing the use of environmentally safe refrigerants to eliminate ozone-depleting substances by the year 2040.

Ever since the initiation of the Can Collection Campaign in 1997 as the first community based annual recycling programme to be launched in the UAE, EEG has managed to collect 344,216 kg of aluminium cans which has resulted in several environmental benefits.

The use of hydrogen and synthetic fuels, direct electrification, advanced biofuels and carbon management will be crucial ways to cut CO2 emissions beyond 2050, along with innovative business models, structural changes and behavioural adaptation.

The UAE has taken early steps to achieve a balance between economic development and maintaining a clean, healthy, and safe environment.

Today, through its strategies and investments, the UAE is leading global efforts in renewable and clean energy sectors. The UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aims to achieve an energy mix that combines renewable and clean energy sources to balance economic requirements and environmental goals.

Can Collection Day is an annual national event organised by the Emirates Environmental Group, EEG, the first-of-its-kind environmental NGO in the UAE. EEG’s aim is to motivate and encourage every individual, from young students to working professionals, to diligently take part in recycling habits.

The campaign has been able to sustain itself for 25 years and to achieve all this success because of the support of the relevant government entities and the collaboration and commitment of the corporations particularly the hospitality sector, academic institutions, the industry and the society at large.

This campaign is a true reflection of UAE’s dedicated people and their passion and moral sense to protect the greens and blues of the country.

In November, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, MoCCAE, rolled out the Environmental Tolerance Initiative to mark Tolerance Week and raise public awareness of eco-friendly behaviour and local environmental protection efforts.

The initiative consists of five sub-initiatives that feature community-centred activities and awareness campaigns.

Among them, the ‘Let’s Be Tolerant Towards Our Marine Environment’ initiative seeks to protect marine biodiversity and habitat, and boost community participation in pollution control, coastal clean-up, and fishing regulations compliance.

It comprises awareness campaigns on safi and sheri, endangered marine turtles and sharks, and the Fujairah Cultured Coral Reef Gardens.

The ‘Environmental Performance Improvement’ initiative, on the other hand, aims to protect fragile ecosystems and the right of future generations to clean air and fresh water, support the private sector in its shift to sustainable production, and promote the adoption of eco-friendly practices.

There is no doubt that the UAE makes full-on efforts to preserve the ecological surroundings and cut down on the carbon footprint. This brings it several notches up on the environmental preservation scale, way ahead of other countries.