Each year, hotels across the UAE throw away an estimated 16 million bars of soap – many after just a single use. Now, a growing number of hotels are signing up to a grassroots recycling programme that is tackling the waste head-on, transforming used soap into new bars for communities in need. Launched in 2023, the Unisoap […]
Show the picture above to shoppers in a mall in Abu Dhabi or Dubai and most wouldn’t have a clue that this striking bird is a UAE species, reckons Basil Roy, conservation officer at Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Yet it is found almost daily at the reserve. The image below − of the paler Gulf sub-species […]
Abu Dhabi’s mission to eliminate single-use plastic bags is offering a safer passage to sea turtles navigating the emirate’s waters. The capital introduced its single-use plastic ban on June 1, 2022, in a major push to safeguard the environment and greatly reduce plastic pollution in the sea. The campaign has generated significant dividends, with an […]
The UAE experienced its hottest May on record with peak daily temperatures averaging more than 40ºC, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has said. It comes after a month when the Emirates broke May daily temperature highs for two consecutive days and follows the hottest April since records began in the early 2000s. The mercury rose to 51.6ºC in […]
A new UAE climate law that requires companies to keep emission levels in check or face fines has been hailed as a “pivotal shift” for the country. Federal Decree-Law No 11 of 2024 on Reduction of the Effects of Climate Change, which came into effect on Friday, mandates emissions reporting and climate adaptation measures across all sectors, from heavy industry […]
Arnoud Van den Berg, group chief executive of Al Dahra, is a man on a mission: to turn one of the Middle East’s leading agribusinesses into the world’s largest irrigated farming platform. From the company’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, Mr Van den Berg is leading a strategy of expansion, technology adoption, and sustainable transformation rooted in the […]
The Minister of Climate Change and the Environment has set out the UAE’s green vision, supported by the launch of an agriculture hub to help develop a fresh crop of farmers and bolster food security, and a museum celebrating farming history. Dr Amna Al Dahak told The National about moves to champion home-grown produce as the Emirates […]
Global warming is making cancer more common and more deadly for women in the Middle East and North Africa, scientists have warned. Researchers said the rising number of cancer cases found in a study of 17 Mena region countries is small but statistically significant, suggesting a notable increase in risk and deaths over time. “As temperatures rise, cancer mortality among […]
Tucked away on the outskirts of Al Ain, scientists at the UAE’s Plant Genetic Resource Centre – part seed vault, part futuristic lab – are working to safeguard the botanical future of a nation better known for its desert sands than its native flora. The centre, run by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, is not just a […]
Belgium, Estonia and Poland were also singled out for not submitting their NECPs and were urged to “do so without delay”. The EU is “well on track” to reach its 2030 climate targets, the European Commission said on Wednesday. An assessment of updated National Climate and Energy Plans (NECPs) shows the EU is on course […]
