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His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, announced the extension of the “Year of Sustainability” initiative to include the current year with the aim of building on the success achieved during the past year, coinciding with the National Environment Day in the country.

His Highness said in a blog post on the “X” platform: “On National Environment Day, we announce the extension of the Year of Sustainability to include 2024. On this occasion, we affirm that protecting the environment and preserving resources is a basic priority within the established sustainability approach in the Emirates, and a collective responsibility for all members of society.

We renew our determination to continue working with various countries of the world to confront the risks facing the environment and to build on the historic UAE agreement resulting from the COP28 conference for a better future for humanity.”

This initiative confirms the UAE’s commitment to achieving a prosperous and sustainable future for all.

The “Year of Sustainability” initiative campaign, during the year 2023, succeeded in enhancing awareness of the values ​​of sustainability in the UAE, encouraged behavior change and inspired collective action to advance towards achieving the principles of sustainability, and during the current year the Year of Sustainability initiative continues to call on everyone who considers the UAE their homeland. To enrich collective efforts to implement sustainable practices through a group of community initiatives and activities.

The initiative will continue throughout the year, under the supervision of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Presidential Office, and Her Highness Sheikha Maryam bint Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while more details regarding upcoming events and initiatives will be announced later. It will be implemented during the current year.

On this occasion, the Sustainability Year Team, based on the achievements of 2023, renews its invitation to community members and entities to participate in shaping the initiatives of the New Year, and welcomes all ideas that propose innovative activities, initiatives and community projects, via email: Contact@UAEYearOf.ae

National model

His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Presidential Office, wrote on his Highness’s account on the “X” platform yesterday: “National Environment Day is an occasion to emphasize the importance of protecting the environment and preserving natural resources for future generations, and the initiative to extend the Year of Sustainability.” To include 2024 comes within the framework of this national goal, with the leadership’s vision. The UAE is an inspiring model for ambitious national environmental work, and a major party in the field of supporting the environment in the world and confronting the common challenges it faces.”

His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, confirmed that the announcement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to extend the Year of Sustainability, on the occasion of National Environment Day, is an opportunity to redouble efforts and increase community awareness of the importance of preserving and developing natural resources and launching more… One of the innovative and effective initiatives.

For his part, His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, said that the announcement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to extend the “Year of Sustainability” initiative to include the year 2024, reflects the keenness of His Highness to strengthen the UAE’s leadership and global visions in consolidating the principles of sustainability as one of the main priorities, and to be the main driver and supporter of achieving comprehensive development at the national and global levels.

His Highness added that the UAE – with an ambitious vision from its wise leadership – has succeeded in adopting and implementing creative initiatives to achieve sustainable development goals over the past years, including the establishment of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and the historic “UAE Agreement” at the conclusion of the COP28 Conference of the Parties. To agree on the future of climate action and the preservation of humanity and the planet, and to announce strategies for transitioning to renewable energy, initiatives to preserve the environment and water, sustainable infrastructure, and the sustainability of humanitarian and relief aid to extend a helping hand to the peoples of the world in need, and other initiatives that enhance the well-being of the UAE community and humanity in around the world.

His Highness stressed that the UAE continues to implement the sustainable development agenda at the national level and around the world in order to ensure a better future for future generations, inspired by the vision and thought of the late founding leader Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, “may God rest his soul,” in institutionalizing this national effort and instilling this culture in Generations of souls systematically.

The UAE celebrates National Environment Day, which falls on February 4 of each year, with a record of environmental achievements, which reflects historical efforts to preserve the environment and climate through the UAE’s presidency of the Conference of the Parties (COP28), through which the UAE has woven a global national voice regarding the necessity of dealing with challenges. Climate change through flexible and sustainable diplomacy, through skill and excellence in its management of negotiations and discussions, contributed to establishing new standards for the success of global climate action, and established its position as a major contributor to building a sustainable future for all of humanity.

Because the environment constitutes the cornerstone of national development, the UAE has led constructive plans to support the climate change file, with a system supported by climate innovation, which has made it a pivotal decision maker in sustainable economic growth. National Environment Day bears witness to a civilizational achievement of a nation that has spared no effort in preserving environmental resources in accordance with… Legislation, policies and decisions exceeded 60 decisions at the end of last year, in addition to sustainable investment that achieved development and prosperity by issuing more than 120 decisions in 2023 to enhance sustainability, confront climate change, develop natural resources and reduce the consequences of pollution on the environment, initiatives that confirm that the environment is a top leadership priority. Al-Rashida, which has always preserved its resources as a national trust preserved by the founding fathers for future generations.

Flexible steps

The announcement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, on National Environment Day to extend the Year of Sustainability to include the current year comes as an affirmation of the flexible steps taken by the UAE in changing the pace of environmental and climate action into long-term initiatives and national action that has no borders. To achieve the desired goals through an integrated sustainable policy, the pillars of which were founded by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, until its structure strengthened, and the UAE began to enhance its expertise in the energy sector to establish an integrated system of climate solutions, and the dissemination and use of clean energy solutions is one of the main pillars. The state has spared no effort in strengthening its structure in order to protect the environment and climate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to achieve the state’s ambitions to make a tangible impact on climate neutrality.

The UAE has a distinguished record spanning more than 17 years as one of the first countries in the region to adopt renewable energy solutions and support their spread. The UAE is the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to launch a strategic initiative in an effort to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and accelerate the pace to achieve the desired progress. In this field, after submitting its second Nationally Determined Contribution on climate change to the United Nations, the UAE became the first country in the region to commit to reducing emissions in all aspects of its economic sectors by 2030.

With 10 new initiatives to achieve their new national environmental goals, local environmental initiatives contributed to crystallizing the general framework of the 2031 Biodiversity Strategy, the global initiative to remove carbon from the waste sector, the national registry of carbon credits, the country’s fifth national communication report to be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention, and the first edition of the report The country’s long-term low-carbon development strategy, the Emirates Company’s establishment of electric vehicle charging stations, and a policy for sustainable aviation fuel and smart construction in the country. The country also issued the national strategy to combat desertification, the optional national regulation for green building conditions and specifications, and the national biosecurity framework, as well as the technical regulation. To control air quality measurements, the state also issued during the year 2023 the UAE Agenda for the Circular Economy and the National Agenda for Integrated Waste Management, in addition to the policy of integrated management of recyclable materials in the country, and the controls of the policy of valuing industrial waste.

As part of its efforts to protect natural resources, the UAE has issued initiatives to develop the modern agriculture sector, a package of initiatives to support the aquaculture sector, and regulate the export of aquaculture.

With the increasing repercussions of climate change and its effects around the world, and the rising demand for energy resources, the UAE has created a solid foundation of competitive and commercially viable solutions to support its sustainable development that enhances the process of eliminating carbon emissions, and has sought to refine its energy strategies in order to contribute to reducing The effects of climate change and achieving a low-carbon world, by supporting strategic investments in renewable energy, disseminating proven and cost-effective technologies, in addition to applying the latest innovations on a large scale to enhance their commercial viability and meet global sustainability goals, leading to the UAE’s strategic initiative aimed at achieving neutrality. climate change by 2050.

Because the future state is based on concerted efforts to achieve the aspirations of the wise leadership, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment is responsible for leading and coordinating efforts to achieve climate neutrality and ensure integration at the national level, where all concerned parties in the main sectors, such as energy, economy, industry, infrastructure, transportation, waste, agriculture, and the environment, modernize Relevant plans, strategies, policies, and implementation of initiatives and projects that will support the continuity of national efforts to enhance the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 19% in 2030, and by 62% in 2040, reaching zero carbon by 2050.

With tireless efforts, the competent authorities and bodies in the country at the federal and local levels have spared no effort in participating in achieving these visions by preparing comprehensive and detailed studies with the aim of developing plans and taking the necessary measures to achieve climate neutrality while ensuring sustainable economic growth.

Potential

The renewable energy technologies adopted by the Emirates have qualitative potential and play an important role in achieving development, to the extent that the Emirates today has become home to 3 of the largest and least expensive solar energy stations in the world, and among these stations are the Al Dhafra solar photovoltaic station and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Energy Park. Solar.

With investments amounting to 600 billion dirhams until 2050, the UAE, within its energy strategy, targets a mix of renewable, nuclear and clean energy sources, to ensure achieving a balance between economic needs and environmental goals, and to raise the contribution of clean energy to the total mix of energy produced in the country to 50%, and to achieve savings equivalent to 700%. One billion dirhams until 2050, in addition to reducing carbon emissions from the electricity production process by 70% over the next three decades.

Read also:

– Ministers and officials: The leadership is keen to continue mobilizing global efforts to confront the climate crisis

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