The Ministry of Environment and Water organized a seminar on Green Applications on Thursday, October 4th, 2012 at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel - Rashidiya Hall, which aims to achieve knowledge and spread the concepts of green applications in sustainable consumption of energy and water in the country.
Where H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment and Water, in his speech during the opening ceremony, called for the need to reduce the carbon footprint resulting from government buildings on the basis of the resolution by the Ministerial Council for Services. His Excellency pointed out as well, to the need to replace the regular light bulbs with energy-saving bulbs, calling on all parties to use the lighting sensors in the corridors and stores at government buildings, and to set the air conditioners’ temperature between 22-24 Celsius degrees, in order to reduce the proportion of use under the framework of the rationalization of energy and water consumption, as this will reduce the cooling consumption rate to 6-8 % where cooling systems usage is around 66% of the total electricity used in government buildings.
Her Excellency Dr. Mariam Al Shenasi, the Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs, and H.E. Dr. Sa’ad Eddin Al Nomeiri, the Adviser of the Minister of Environment and Water, made a presentation about green applications and their effect on the environment and public health, which included ideas that serve green applications and contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change, and pointed out the high rate of emissions and the rate of carbon footprint per capita compared to international rates, where the rate in the UAE have reached 10.68 global hectares per capita in 2010.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) participated at the symposium calling for the need to raise the efficiency of air conditioners, where air conditioners cooling degrees must be between the ratio required to guarantee the reduction of electricity consumption in government buildings. The Electricity and Water Authority of Sharjah (SEWA) participated at the symposium as well, calling for the application of the principles of sustainable consumption as an important tool of green economy, noting that it is a concept of collective responsibility.
The Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology through their participation in the seminar highlighted the importance of the use of an environmentally friendly lighting technology and the use of energy-saving green light bulbs, mentioning its future plans to prepare for the new system –which shall be applied for the first time in the country- that guarantees the maximum and the minimum power consumption rate in the light bulbs, to raise energy efficiency and reduce consumption of energy to serve its strategic plans for 2013 and 2014.
The Ministry of Environment and Water discussed with the audience the importance of the above mentioned strategies in imposing the green applications resolution, which will contribute to reducing the effects of climate change, which will result in a decrease in the carbon footprint rate of the UAE.
The seminar was concluded by important recommendations such as the need for rationalization in the consumption of electricity and water, raising the efficiency of air conditioners, and recalled the individual responsibility in applying the principles of sustainable consumption and the use of environmentally friendly lamps.