Reducing the nation's carbon footprint will require "unprecedented levels of co-operation and partnership" by governmental, private sector and civil society organisations in the UAE, according to a leading environmentalist. "All sectors of society need to play their part," said Razan al Mubarak, managing director of the Emirates Wildlife Society-World Wide Fund for Nature. "The Government has a responsibility both as a role model in implementing footprint-reducing actions in their own day-to-day operations as well as developing policies and regulations that facilitate overall changes in the economy with large and lasting impacts."
Some initiatives were already under way, he said, including the Heroes of the UAE programme. "The Ministry of Environment and Water for example, is an official endorser of the Heroes campaign and is also one of the partners of the UAE's Ecological Footprint Initiative, which aims to develop policies to help move the country towards a more sustainable future." He said this combination of top-down policy development and bottom-up grass-roots awareness is crucial to ensure that the UAE's carbon footprint is reduced.
Commenting on The National/YouGov survey on public attitudes towards climate change, he said: "The poll results suggest that the general public is supportive of government policies supporting lower emissions standards for vehicles, which would promote availability and variety in hybrid or electronic vehicles." The UAE Ecological Footprint Initiative, he said, was a good example of a public-private-civil society partnership working to raise awareness on the country's high footprint, as well as collaborating on research and policy development to encourage effective long-term economic, social, environmental and infrastructural changes in the UAE.
The partnership is a collaboration among the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Abu Dhabi Global Environment Data Initiative (housed within the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi), Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF, and the Global Footprint Network. Individuals can also play a significant role in reducing their carbon footprint by implementing the tips for cutting energy and water use posted at heroesoftheuae.ae.
Business and industry also "have a role to play in investing in, supplying, and promoting to all sectors of society their energy-efficient goods and services." In addition, he said, this sector has an important role in communicating to the Government any factors, including policies or regulations, that prevent or limit their ability to offer these goods and services in the UAE. vtodorova@thenational.ae
