Dubai steps up cooperation with the United Nations for more sustainable development

In the context of winning the honor to host the World Exposition in 2020, Dubai re-commits its pledge to a low carbon economy through the launch of its State of Energy Report and other sustainability initiatives with the United Nations Development Programme

NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dubai is bracing to have its green credentials top the national agenda, leading with its first-ever State of Energy Report – Dubai 2014 launched today by the Delegation of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) and Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (DCCE) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the UN Headquarters in New York.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and HE Helen Clark, the UNDP Administrator celebrated the report as a collaborative platform to enable a knowledge economy that would spur growth of green sustainable development. The report captures the replicable and scalable success stories in Dubai, aiming to serve as a model for environmental and social development across the Arab States.

"Our fruitful cooperation with the UNDP is one of the main creative steps in our efforts to achieve the Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. This will further improve the outlook for the UAE Vision 2021 that the UAE the leader in this field," said Al Tayer.

"Energy is one of the key components for sustainable development and the foundation for a positive environment that encourages collaboration, partnership, creativity, and innovation and a strong element in Dubai's successful bid to host Expo 2020. Now that we have been awarded this honour to welcome the world, we are strengthening our commitment by deepening our relationship with international key partners, including the UNDP."

"One example for this is the State of Energy Report, providing the basis for a knowledge economy, which will be one of the main factors for the successful achievement of the vision of our wise leadership to transform Dubai into a Smart City," added Al Tayer.

"Sustainable energy helps reduce poverty, spur economic growth, and promote overall human and sustainable development," said Helen Clark.  "Yet 1.2 billion people worldwide cannot access electricity, and more than twice as many rely on traditional biomass for cooking and/or heating. The UN Secretary General's Sustainable Energy for All initiative is helping to promote action around three ambitious goals for 2030: to ensure universal access to modern energy services; double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix."

As highlighted in the report, the UAE has set a target of achieving five percent of its energy mix from renewable energy by 2030, while also seeking to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent. Like a number of countries in the Arab region, it seeks to place sustainable energy solutions at the center of a new sustainable development pathway. As shown in the results of a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory captured in the report, Dubai makes up 25 percent of the UAE's total GHG emissions. Overall the top sources of UAE's emission are electricity and water, transport, industry, among other sources.

DSCE and UNDP today also signed an agreement to co-host the UAE-led 2014 World Green Economy Summit (WGES), which will be held in Dubai April 15-16, 2014, in conjunction with WETEX2014 as part of the "Dubai Green Economy Partnership."

Sponsored by the Dubai Electricity &Water Authority, WGES is part of Dubai's "Green Economy for Sustainable Development" initiative. Announced in 2012, it is a national strategy that aims to make the UAE one of the leading countries in the green economy and establish itself as a global powerhouse for green technology exports.

In the same spirit, the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (Dubai Carbon) and the UNDP have both initiated an unprecedented Youth Empowerment Programme for Student Thought Leaders under the name, The Carbadors.

The Carbadors is Carbon Ambassador's Programme to engage university students in a voluntary collaboration with the UAE's efforts to create a culture of sustainable development, by providing free training opportunities for tomorrow's leaders.

"The Carbadors initiative is very close to our heart. By engaging youth in steering our country towards a more resource-conscious and green economy, we are helping them to take responsibility. They will take the challenge head-on and develop an economic model and lifestyle that is custom-made to the UAE's environment and culture, so that we become sustainable, for generations to come," said Waleed Salman, Chairman of Dubai Carbon.

The event was hosted by the UAE Permanent Mission to the UN and its ambassador extraordinary HE Lana Zaki Nusseibeh and attended by senior representatives from all entities.

About The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy  
The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy was formed in August 2009 under Law 19 of 2009, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum was appointed Chairman of the Council and His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, as Vice Chairman and DEWA representative.

The Council consists of the following members: the Director General of the Department of Petroleum Affairs, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Aluminium Company (DUBAL), the Chief Executive Officer of Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) and one representative each from the Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP), Dubai Petroleum Establishment (DPE), Dubai Municipality (DM) and Dubai Nuclear Energy Committee (DNEC). The Council has a Secretary General and an Advisory Committee from a competent specialised workforce. The new Governing body seeks to ensure that the Emirate's growing economy will have sustainable energy while preserving the environment. The Supreme Council of Energy is developing alternative and renewable energy sources for the Emirate, while increasing energy efficiency to reduce demand.

About Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence 
The Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence was launched by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2011 as a public-private partnership to fast-track clean energy project development in the last years of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Centre is the first body of its kind in the region and aims to leverage Dubai's economic potential in carbon through the Clean Development Mechanism and other best practices. The DCCE is a key component of the Supreme Council's efforts to develop a sustainable-energy economy for Dubai and plans to offset several million metric tons of carbon annually by selling carbon credits on the international market.

Dubai Carbon conceptualises, manages, executes and monetises greenhouse gas reduction measures. By doing so, it addresses climate change and promotes sustainable development across the region in an economically viable way. The Emirate of Dubai is becoming a low carbon economy and Dubai Carbon is both the enabler and knowledge repository of this process.

SOURCE The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy