President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has said that the UAE National Environment Day, which is being celebrated for 22 years on a row, is an important occasion "in which we renew our national commitment to protect our natural resources so as to preserve the natural environment and ensure the rights of future generations."
Speaking on the occasion of the UAE National Environment Day, which is marked on the 4th of February, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa said, "The preservation of the environment is a shared responsibility by all. During the event each year, efforts are made to highlight an environmental goal of national importance.
For three consecutive years, the spotlight has focused on spreading awareness and deepening consumer and producer knowledge of sustainable production and consumption patterns, one of the most important sustainable development goals at the national and global levels."
President Khalifa noted that values and practices related to the sustainability of the environment are an integral part of the UAE heritage. He added that the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, expressed this sentiment when he said, "On land and in the sea, our forefathers lived and survived in this environment. They were able to do so only because they recognised the need to conserve it, to take from it only what they needed to live, and to preserve it for succeeding generations."
"We call upon our government institutions to continue their efforts to achieve our national goals and to raise the awareness of community members, especially school and university students, of their national, environmental and humanitarian responsibilities and roles," President Khalifa added.
His Highness continued, "We also call on the private sector to play its role in carrying out its social and environmental responsibilities and call on all society members to follow proper behaviour towards the environment and to adopt rational consumption patterns of their resources to ensure their continuity."
"We appreciate the role played by all government agencies for their interest in the environment, and for their coordination with private sector institutions and individuals, as well as their keenness to participate actively in our efforts to protect and sustain the environment," he concluded.