DUBAI, 14th September, 2022 (WAM) — The UAE Council for Environmental and Municipal Work, at its first meeting, chaired by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, approved its work agenda for the next six months.
During the meeting, the participants discussed the guidelines and requirements for the body’s future work, the latest developments in drafting the National Strategy for Integrated Waste Management, and federal waste transformation projects.
Taking place at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) headquarters in Dubai, the meeting convened the Council’s members for the first time since the UAE Cabinet ratified the resolution for the body’s creation in May 2022.
Almheiri said, “Reaching our goals related to quality of life, as outlined in the UAE Centennial 2071, depends on several key pillars; primarily, building a sustainable society. MOCCAE, in cooperation with the UAE Council for Environmental and Municipal Work, will build on the achievements of the joint committees since 2009 in line with the principles of sustainable development.
“In the near future, the Council aims to accelerate the implementation of the National Strategy for Integrated Waste Management and launch multiple transformational projects. This will bolster the adoption of the circular economy concept while effectively contributing to achieving the UAE’s objectives through embracing sustainability across all sectors.”
She added, “During the coming period, the Council will work on establishing the general foundations to enhance joint work in the environmental arena and related municipal services. It will also propose regulations, legislation, and policies to ensure more effective participation of the private sector in relevant projects, develop complementary initiatives, and promote scientific research in related fields. In addition, it will determine the country’s position in relevant regional and global negotiations and facilitate the exchange of experience and best practices.”
The Council approved a short-term work plan for the next six months. It covers implementing the National Strategy for Integrated Waste Management, launching a set of transformational projects that support the adoption of the circular economy concept and contribute to achieving the country’s objectives by applying sustainability principles across all sectors, and strengthening the UAE’s leading role in municipal work in the GCC region and beyond.
During the meeting, the members discussed the milestones reached by the joint committees since 2009, alongside the UAE Council for Climate Change and Environment since its formation in 2016, with regard to municipal and environmental work. They also reflected on the nature of the body’s mission in addition, they addressed the requirements and guidelines for future efforts in line with the UAE’s targets and the directions of its wise leadership.
The Council reviewed a proposed three-year medium-term action plan for collaboration areas among all concerned authorities across the public and private sectors. It examined ways to enhance quality of life, key initiatives and projects related to the environmental and municipal sectors, and governance and empowerment mechanisms.
The members explored multiple transformational future projects in the environmental and municipal areas, aimed at building a sustainable industrial sector based on circular economy principles and raising public awareness about environmental and sustainability issues. They focused on enhancing cooperation and aligning efforts on short-term projects among partners.
MoCCAE presented the fourth phase of its Unified Municipal Work Guide that compiles and standardises procedures across the municipal and environmental sectors.
The fourth phase covers the nature, mechanisms, and stipulations of environmental and municipal violations on a federal level. The document develops environmental best practices, supports exchange of knowledge and experience in municipal work, standardises definitions and concepts when drafting and citing violations, and creates an initial unified national list of municipal and environmental violations.
The UAE Cabinet, headed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, approved the decision to establish the UAE Council for Environmental and Municipal Work in May 2022. The body’s mandate involves working on issues of common interest with the concerned authorities in the country, ensure alignment with current national plans and strategies and their effective implementation, and activating roles and responsibilities based on current developments and future visions related to the UAE Centennial 2071.
