His Excellency Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said that the newly established UAE Circular Economy Council provides an ideal platform to build synergies with the aim of expediting the implementation of the circular economy principles through devising relevant legislation, and rolling out programs and initiatives.
The Minister spoke on the heels of the UAE Cabinet’s approval of the formation of the UAE Circular Economy Council, chaired by His Excellency Dr Al Nuaimi. Members of the new body comprise His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Teleworking Applications, and His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs are also represented on the Council.
Other members include Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, CEO of Alliances for Global Sustainability, Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, His Excellency Eng Dawood Abdulrahman Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, and His Excellency Dr Salem Al Kaabi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center (Tadweer). Eight other members come from various local government entities as well as the private sector.
The Council is responsible for overseeing the development of the implementation strategy for the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2021-2031 that targets the adoption of the circular economy concept in four priority areas – green infrastructure, sustainable transportation, sustainable manufacturing, and sustainable food production and consumption. The policy was developed jointly by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, and the Office of the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications.
Moreover, the Council is mandated to follow up on the execution of sectoral initiatives, approve key performance indicators for the progress made, and align federal and local strategies with the policy requirements. It will also propose the foundations for general and sectoral plans and projects that apply the principles of circular economy, boost the participation of the private sector in circular economy ventures, encourage relevant public-private partnerships, enhance scientific research in the field, and scale up international cooperation aimed at driving global implementation of circular economy.