Al Hashemi said that the Ministry’s strategy focuses on enhance the participation of all national sectors in reducing greenhouse gas emissions rates…reports Asian Lite News
As part of the UAE delegation to COP27 in Egypt, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) will unveil new initiatives that enhance the country’s efforts to protect the planet and face the challenge of climate change, including carbon reduction in all sectors, enhancing the participation of the private sector, expanding reliance on nature-based solutions internationally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and developing and expanding the climate research and development system.
Issa Al Hashemi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Sustainable Communities Sector at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said that the ‘National Dialogue on Climate Ambition’ is one of the most important experiences that will be presented in cooperation with international organisations as an effective model for strengthening the partnership of the whole society in climate action, through which the Ministry aimed to support the country’s future directions in reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions with an integrated sectorial partnership.
In May 2022, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment launched the ‘National Dialogue on Climate Ambition’ initiative, which aims to enhance the private sector’s participation in climate action and reach the highest rates of carbon reduction and removal. The initiative includes holding monthly meetings to discuss the needs and priorities of each sector separately as well as future directions to achieve net zero, with the participation of decision makers and stakeholders, and led by concerned government agencies, to ensure participatory design.
Al Hashemi said that the Ministry’s strategy focuses on enhance the participation of all national sectors in reducing greenhouse gas emissions rates, especially carbon dioxide, and raising the climate action ambition of these sectors, pointing out that manufacturing, energy, transportation, cement industries and finance are leading the sectors with which cooperation and coordination are implemented to increase their participation and efforts in confronting the challenge of climate change.
He pointed out that as part of its work system, which includes approving a flexible legislative structure and launching specialised initiatives and programmes to promote climate action, the Ministry has launched the ‘National Dialogue on Climate Ambition’ series, which aim to hold direct meetings with representatives of relevant government and private organisations in various sectors to assess their position, exchange knowledge about requirements of raising ambition and enhancing participation in climate action efforts to ensure sustainable economic development.
He continued: “The initiative also aims to define the sustainability and climate action expectations for each sector, the innovative technologies and solutions for accelerating work in each sector, and the main actors in each sector, especially private organisations.”
He explained that under the initiative a monthly meeting will be held to discuss the needs and priorities of each sector separately as well as future directions to achieve net zero, with the participation of decision makers and stakeholders, and led by concerned government agencies, to ensure participatory design.
In October, the Ministry held the dialogue’s fifth meeting with the aim of enhancing the participation of insurance sector organisations in climate action efforts.
The meeting highlighted best practices and national efforts to enhance resilience to climate change by developing a wide range of insurance services and solutions that contribute to addressing these global risks. The dialogue estimated major risks associated with climate change in the country with the aim of developing solutions for priority sectors affected by climate change, such as agriculture, transport and construction. These risks will be evaluated by a national team that includes the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), in order to strengthen the national climate change adaptation plan.
As part of the National Dialogue on Climate Ambition initiative, the Ministry had launched the ‘Climate Responsible Companies Pledge’, in which the signatory organisations are committed to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions in a transparent manner, drafting ambitious plans to reduce their carbon footprint, and sharing these plans with the relevant government agencies to achieve the highest levels of carbon reduction.
The signatories also pledged to manage climate change mitigation and adaptation as core values and principles in their business and operational models, as well as adopt an all-inclusive approach that engages the youth, women and vulnerable segments of society in drafting their net-zero plans.
At the end of last July, the third National Dialogue on Climate Ambition meeting targeted the financial sector and focused on the global, regional and local need for innovative financing programs that serve the goals of achieving net zero.
Last May, the Ministry invited more than 50 entities from the government and private sectors and advanced technology companies operating in the waste, cement, energy and advanced technology sectors, to participate in the first meeting of the dialogue.
The discussions came to the conclusion that the ability to reduce carbon depends on 4 proposed solutions or initiatives, including an initiative to reduce reliance on limestone in cement production and to use environment friendly alternatives, such as calcite, an initiative to enable the use of renewable energy in factories, and an initiative to use alternative fuels RDF and energy recovery systems, in addition to an initiative to promote the deployment of carbon capture, storage and reuse technologies.