Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan has told a London meeting that the challenge of sustainable growth must be at the heart of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We must ensure that decisions taken today as part of recovery from coronavirus are taken with regard to sustainability,” said Sheikha Shamma, the great-granddaughter of the UAE's Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed.
"We need to start today.”
She was addressing a meeting of the Emirates Society in London alongside Lord Goldsmith, a minister of state for international development and the environment, and Dominic Jermey, director general of the Zoological Society of London.
Highlighting the effect of the crisis with a series of slides, Sheikha Shamma discussed the drop in greenhouse gas emissions at the onset of the epidemic.
China has had a one-quarter reduction in emissions so far this year. In Abu Dhabi a 50 per cent drop in nitrogen-dioxide output has been recorded since mid-February.
But there have also been blows to the circular economy in the medical emergency.
Waste pollution, in particular medical gear and personal protective equipment, has been a continuing setback to goals for a cleaner planet.
“This is also true of single-use plastic as a means of preventing the spread of the virus in communal living and food delivery packaging,” Sheikha Shamma said.
Lord Goldsmith spoke on behalf of the UK government to thank the UAE for its gestures of support through the pandemic, including shipments of 60 tonnes of PPE and continued investment in the UK, such as in its national electric car-charging infrastructure.
“Coronavirus is a wake-up call on the misuse of the planet,” he said.
The campaigning Conservative politician said Expo2020 in Dubai next year and the UK’s presidency of the Cop26 UN climate conference were platforms for alliances between countries willing to “make commitments to protect land and sea”.
Lord Goldsmith praised the way in which the UAE was addressing climate challenges, including by hosting the first Middle East meeting of the World Ocean Summit.
"Your transition to clean energy is helping us as well," he said.
Mr Jermey said Covid-19 illustrated the dangers of the now faster crossover of diseases between animals and humans.
He stressed the need to encourage business and investment to triple report performance and the effects of their operations under the global sustainability reporting guidelines.
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Under 18 – Madenat
The five pillars of Islam
