Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this press conference organized by the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water to announce the commencement of the ceremonies for the 18th National Environment Day, which is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
I take this opportunity to express my deepest thanks and gratitude to H.H. for sponsoring this occasion and for extending his unlimited and continuous support towards the efforts made by the UAE in preserving and developing the environment.
I am also honored to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and to their Highnesses the Members of the UAE's Federal Supreme Council, the Rulers of the Emirates, who have given their utmost attention and care towards sustainable environmental practices in order to position the UAE as one of the leading countries in the field of the environmental responsibility, regionally and internationally.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The UAE National Environment Day, which falls on the 4th of February, is an important annual environmental event for expressing our national and moral commitment towards maintaining our natural resources. By celebrating this occasion, we renew our determination to exert more efforts towards protecting our environment and achieving sustainable development goals which represent the core of the UAE Vision 2021. On this occasion, we also seek to strengthen our close relation with the UAE’s environment, as it is an important aspect of our daily lives and vital part of our national heritage.
By celebrating this occasion for eighteen years in a row, we have effectively drawn attention towards environmental issues in the UAE and successfully raised the level of environmental awareness among individuals and various community groups as well as improved our behavior towards environmental resources. All our efforts are clearly manifested in the increased community participation in environmental activities and events held on this occasion. They are also evident in the keenness of all individuals and institutions from the public and private sectors and public interest organizations to take advantage of this opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development goals.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
‘The Green Economy: Innovation and Sustainability’ – the slogan for the UAE National Environment Day for 2014 up to 2016 emphasizes the role of the economy as one of the three pillars of sustainable development. The transformation of our national economy into a green low-carbon economy is the right option to enable the country to achieve our sustainable economic development goals.
The adoption of the green economy approach according to the UAE Green Development Strategy was based on our ambitious UAE Vision 2021, which emphasizes the flexibility of the stable and diverse economy in adopting new economic models. It was also based on the commitment of the international community’s participation in developing and applying innovative solutions to protect the environment and ensure its sustainability.
There is no doubt that connecting the occasion’s slogan with the green economy and innovation confirms the importance of innovation in the process of transitioning from a traditional economy into a green economy. Since it is a novel concept, its success and global acceptance must be based on innovative tools and practices. This has also been emphasized by UAE Vision 2021, which calls for the development of our national economy based on knowledge and innovation.
The National Innovation Strategy announced by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in October 2014, is an additional key factor in facilitating the process of turning into a green economy, and strengthening the nation’s position on the global innovation map. We in the UAE under the wise leadership of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan aspire to work on improving our position in innovation from being the first in the Arab region to be among the best globally in the coming years.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This year we will continue with what we initiated last year under the slogan ‘The Green Economy: Innovation and Sustainability’ in cooperation and coordination with all concerned parties in the UAE in order to develop an important and innovative set of activities and events to celebrate the 18th UAE National Environment Day across the country. We hope that these activities will attract as much official, public and media participation as possible.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Environment and Water has launched an innovative tool for environmental awareness – the Wall of Knowledge – which marks a first for the Middle East and which will spread more awareness on the use of the latest technologies. This initiative is a part of our efforts to more widely engage the people of the UAE with environmental awareness programs.
The Wall of Knowledge began its tour in December 2014 and continues to visit all the emirates to spread environmental awareness in a sustainable manner in plain and clear language. It will give people the opportunity to interact with the program to discover the UAE’s priority environmental issues and to promote sustainable individual choices, especially in terms of water and energy conservation and reduced waste generation, according to a clear timetable that provides an opportunity for all UAE citizens to play interactive roles.
In addition, the ‘Environment Ambassadors’ program was also launched this year. This program will be the highlight of the UAE National Environment Day, targeting students to spread environmental awareness about water and energy conservation and waste recycling, all of which are considered the key elements in achieving future sustainable environment. This program aims to prepare students to be ambassadors of the environment to serve this generous country and preserve its precious natural resources.
Finally, I would like to thank all parties and individuals for their valued participation in preparation for the occasion. In addition, my special thanks and appreciation go to the media for their ongoing contributions in raising the level of environmental awareness and covering all activities and events of this occasion.
Thank you and have a good day,