First global Partnership Action on Green Economy Conference to be hosted by the UAE on March 4 and 5.
The UAE will implement its Green Growth Strategy from 2014 and unify the Green Building Codes and other sustainable initiatives in all the emirates.
The Minister of Environment and Water, Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd, said on Tuesday the roadmap for the strategy was expected to be submitted for Cabinet approval next week.
“We have just finished the last meeting of the steering committee. The roadmap is ready.”
Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Environment Affairs at the ministry, Aisha Al Abdooli, said the strategy would bring in regulations to develop sustainability in the fields of oil and gas, electricity and water, industry, transport, building, waste management, land use and agriculture.
“It will unify the building codes and other sustainable regulations currently existing in different emirates… The idea is to harmonise standards and make sure that they have sustainable programmes and standards in place for all key sectors.”
Officials announced the first global Partnership Action on Green Economy Conference (Page) to be hosted by the UAE on March 4 and 5, under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The minister said the Page conference would be a chance to showcase to the world the UAE’s sustainable projects and green growth. “The conference will be an opportunity to review the progress on implementing the Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication following Rio+20, and also a chance to consider how greener economies can contribute to the emerging post-2015 development agenda and new global architecture for sustainability.”
The Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) is organising the conference in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
United Nations Undersecretary General of and Executive Director of UNEP, Achim Steiner, said: “UAE’s keenness to adopt green economy best practices and its success in several areas of sustainability has encouraged us to come here and host the conference.
The event will bring the world together to review the progress on green economy practices over the last two years, following the declaration of Rio +20.”
More than 300 international and regional organisations and governments have been invited to participate in the conference.
