Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, chaired the first meeting of the UAE Council for Environmental and Municipal Work for 2023, where members discussed a range of critical and environmental issues, as well as strategies for partnership with the private sector.

The meeting sought to support and advance the Council’s efforts to drive sustainability at the national level and across several key sectors.

“Our wise leadership’s ambitious vision is in a relentless race against time and in constant competition to assume global leadership,” asserted H.E. Almheiri. “The ‘We the UAE 2031’ strategic vision strives to streamline federal and local government work as an integrated system in a bid to strengthen the country’s leadership on all national indicators.

“The UAE Council for Environmental and Municipal Work is confidently moving forward towards greater achievements and plans with the end-goal of shaping a sustainable future for the UAE,” H.E. added.

“The Council’s essential contribution can be seen in the full cooperation between all relevant authorities in every emirate, who are working in synergy to accomplish the best possible results in the period ahead, where the UAE will be hosting the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), during the ‘Year of Sustainability.’ The Council will remain a role model for joint national action and will keep making a positive impact on the UAE’s journey towards sustainability.”

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The Council issued a series of recommendations regarding the issues it discussed, most notably calling for the adoption of the National Framework for Sustainable Development as part of local authorities’ plans; following up on the National Integrated Waste Management Agenda on an annual basis; forming a national taskforce to implement the action plan of the National Strategy to Combat Desertification; and supervising the Council to follow up on the implementation of strategic programs and projects.

The meeting also included a detailed explanation of the Sharjah Pastures project, the National Plan to Adopt the Green Education Framework, the National Mosquito Control Programme and success stories in sustainability from private sector companies.

UAE has pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2050, as the first country in the MENA region, through deployment of sustainable and clean technologies and investing in renewable energy projects .