Ministry Of Climate Change Highlights UAE’s Achievements

MOCCAE Provided An Overview Of The UAE’s Experience, Achievements, And Future Trends In The Areas Of Agriculture

Ministry Of Climate Change Highlights UAE’s Achievements
By Faizan Hashmi

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, MOCCAE, marked a successful participation in the G20 Summit. Joined by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Office of the Minister of State for food and Water Security, MOCCAE provided an overview of the UAE’s experience, achievements, and future trends in the areas of agriculture, environmental protection, and climate action.

The virtual G20 Summit was Presided over and hosted by Saudi Arabia.

During his participation in the G20 Environment Ministers Meeting, Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, highlighted the importance of concerted action to preserve the environment for future generations and achieve Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, 13: Climate Action, 14: Life Below Water, and 15: Life on Land. He introduced the country’s approach to effective environmental action that integrates adequate legislation with on-the-ground programs and initiatives.

The Minister noted that 2020 saw the designation of five new terrestrial protected areas in the UAE. The country now has 49 protected areas that account for 15.5 percent of its territory. He also presented examples of long-term projects and initiatives aimed at protecting the marine environment, including the Fujairah Cultured Coral Reef Gardens, the largest project of its kind in the world that seeks to cultivate 1.5 million corals, the Artificial Caves Program that provides alternative habitats for aquatic life, and the mangrove planting drive. Moreover, Dr Al Nuaimi explained how the country leverages state-of-the-art technologies to reduce the environmental footprint of the agricultural sector while increasing its production.

The Minister reiterated the UAE’s dedication to supporting global environmental efforts that contribute to improving lives and shaping a better future for the next generations. In this context, he underscored the UAE’s support for the circular carbon economy, CCE, approach, proposed by Saudi Arabia to accelerate the transition to more sustainable and cleaner energy systems.

Moreover, Dr Al Nuaimi participated in the meeting of the G20 Climate Sustainability Working Group, CSWG, where he reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to its Nationally Determined Contribution, NDC, under the Paris Agreement. He added that the UAE is keen to help other countries scale up their climate resilience capabilities to counter the number one existential threat to the future of humanity.

He noted that owing to its forward-looking leadership, the UAE has adopted multiple strategies to advance its climate change mitigation and adaptation drive. These include the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 that aims to increase the share of clean energy in the mix to 50 percent, the National Climate Change Plan 2017-2050, and the National Climate Change Law that, once finalized, will serve as a framework for nationwide climate action.

This news was originally published at Urdu Point