H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, recently received His Excellency (H.E.) Nicolas Hulot, Special Envoy of French President Francois Hollande for the protection of the planet, at the Ministry office in Dubai. The meeting aimed to discuss ways the two countries can enhance their cooperation to better serve their common interests in achieving sustainable development.
At the beginning of the meeting, H.E. Bin Fahad welcomed Hulot, after which he underlined the UAE’s efforts to develop relations between the two countries across various fields. During the sessions, methods to strengthen the communication channels and cooperation between the two countries were discussed, including ways to support and develop areas of sustainable development, particularly in the area of sustainable energy resources as one of the most important and most significant challenges facing sustainable development.
The Minister expressed the UAE’s enthusiasm in cultivating healthy relations with the international community to be able to support its move towards finding sustainable solutions for pressing environmental issues. He also underlined the importance of global partnerships in the effort to develop and implement sustainable solutions to address crucial environmental issues, especially the production and use of energy resources and the subsequent impact on air pollution and climate change.
The Minister also mentioned that the UAE is taking great strides in diversifying energy sources by shifting towards clean and renewable energy, as part of UAE Vision 2021 which aims to achieve a sustainable environment by ensuring good air quality, preserving water resources, increasing reliance on clean energy, and applying green development strategies. The UAE launched the first solar power plant in the country which is the largest renewable energy project in the Middle East and North Africa and one of the most ambitious development projects of 2014 in Abu Dhabi. In October of last year, Dubai also inaugurated the first phase of the ‘Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park Project.’
The meeting facilitated healthy and lively dialogue on important issues in the field of global energy, such as the advanced development of renewable and alternative energy and the means to meet the growing demand, as well as the UAE’s efforts to establish a green economy through the Emirates green development strategy.
Nicolas Hulot expressed his gratitude to the Ministry for its active efforts in promoting sustainable development, emphasizing that these initiatives firmly establish the important role that the UAE plays in environmental sustainability.