Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, affirmed that his ministry is continuing to promote sustainable production and consumption patterns in the UAE.
Dr. Al Zeyoudi made this statement while visiting the 21st National Environment Day Exhibition, which started today at the Festival Arena in Festival City Dubai, will last for five days, and will target school students and community members.
The UAE’s celebration of this year’s National Environment Day will take place from 4th February to June, under the theme, "Sustainable Production and Consumption," for the second consecutive year.
"Celebrating the National Environment Day during the Year of Zayed adds considerable value to the occasion. The UAE’s founding father and visionary leader always considered the environment as part and parcel of his philosophy and daily practices. Sustaining the environment for future generations was among the top priorities of his endeavours to build the country, paving the way for its sustainable development," Dr. Al Zeyoudi said.
He explained that population growth and increasing levels of income caused by the UAE’s economic boom over the past four decades have led to non-sustainable production and consumption patterns, which are among the major challenges facing the country’s efforts to conserve its resources and ecosystems. Their negative impact is apparent in many areas, such as the country’s high ecological footprint per capita, and high water, energy and food consumption rates, as well as its high waste production and carbon emission rates, he added.
"In the UAE, we believe that sustainable production and consumption are part of the national responsibility of both institutions and individuals. The consumer society is increasingly gaining importance in this regard, as it dictates production trends and influences producer responsibility. Ultimately, consumption is an individual choice that depends on a combination of factors such as desire, which is often influenced by advertising, as well as purchasing power and awareness," Al Zeyoudi further added.
"As a government, we are continuing to work relentlessly towards reducing the negative effects of production and consumption patterns and transforming them to sustainable ones, which will help to achieve the country’s sustainable development, in line with the UAE Vision 2021. I urge you to consider our natural resources as a national heritage that we live with today and will pass on to future generations. We are confident that the collaboration of the government and community will have a substantial influence on promoting better sustainable production and consumption patterns," he said in conclusion.
The National Environment Day Exhibition will highlight six focus areas – the environmental achievements of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the basics of agriculture, endangered animals, saving water and energy, waste sorting and recycling, and preserving the UAE’s marine eco-system. The exhibition aims to introduce children and families to the concepts of sustainable natural resources and environmental conservation and will present eight themed pavilions – "Zayed – Man of the Environment," "Little Farmer," "Forest," "Sustainable City," "Heroes of the Sea," "Waste Sorting," "Little Scientist" and "Cinema."