UAE ecological footprint has dropped

The Ministry of Environment and Water said the decrease was because of improved environmental sustainability, through the country’s adoption of the Ecological Footprint initiative.

ABU DHABI // The UAE ecological footprint dropped to 7.75 hectares per person last year, down from 11.68 hectares in 2006, the Ministry of Environment and Water reported.

The ministry said the decrease was because of improved environmental sustainability, through the country’s adoption of the Ecological Footprint initiative.

The UAE is the third country in the world to do so after Switzerland and Japan.

According to the 2014 Living Planet Report, five countries – China, the United States, India, Brazil and Russia – account for 47.2 per cent of the world’s ecological footprint.

Despite UAE urban growth, which brings more carbon emissions and a greater ecological footprint, efforts to promote a greener economy and environmental policies have improved the situation.

The ministry has set standards to ensure lighting product imports are energy-efficient, especially for the housing sector, which represents 57 per cent of the country’s ecological footprint. The Government also aims to develop standards for fuel and cars, to reduce carbon emissions.

In 2012, the Green Applications initiative aimed to lower power consumption at government buildings.