COP28 global conference to showcase UAE’s ambitious green agenda
Declared one of “the most important events [ever] hosted by the UAE” by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is set to showcase the UAE’s leading role in promoting sustainable development.
The event will be staged in November at Expo City Dubai – the former site of Expo 2020 Dubai – will host more than 140 heads of state and government leaders, 80,000+ delegates and more than 5,000 media professionals.
The UAE has laid out ambitious plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, with a slate of huge renewable energy projects planned or already commissioned across the country. It was also the first nation in the Middle East to ratify the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
“The late Sheikh Zayed laid the foundations of environmental sustainability and climate action that we have built on in the past decades. Today, we have a proven track record of reducing emissions, accelerating the growth of renewable energy and enabling the energy transition,” commented Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change.
UAE a global leader in clean energy projects
In addition to its own groundbreaking renewable energy projects, such as the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which was launched in 2013, the UAE has invested more than US$50 billion to date in clean energy projects in 70 countries, including 40 developing nations.
Emirati officials recently forged an agreement with their American counterparts to launch the UAE-US Partnership to Accelerate the Transition to Clean Energy (PACE). The project is designed to catalyse US$100 billion in financing, investment, and other support and will deploy 100 gigawatts of clean energy globally.
Dr. Al Jaber also cited the growing global reputation of Masdar, the region’s first renewable energy and sustainability initiative launched by the Abu Dhabi government in 2006.
Tourism and hospitality stakeholders boost sustainability initiatives
The UAE’s sustainability push has also been embraced by the country’s tourism and hospitality industries. In the hotel sector, leading operators including The First Group Hotels have launched benchmark sustainable hospitality initiatives in recent years designed to reduce their carbon footprint while promoting environmental conservation.
The First Group Hotels, which operates The First Collection lifestyle hotel brand in Dubai, alongside leading third-party upscale hotel properties including Wyndham Dubai Marina and TRYP by Wyndham Dubai, was one of the city’s first major operators to eliminate plastic bottle usage, implement initiatives to reduce water and energy consumption and adopt waste recycling across its hotel portfolio.
Other important initiatives have included installing energy-saving LED lighting in its hotels; introducing sustainably sourced and produced soaps and shampoos in hotel guestrooms and public areas; replacing 400,000 plastic containers with reusable items; and launching the ‘Recycling First’ waste management programme, which is on track to meet its target of recycling 15% of all daily waste produced across the firm’s hotel portfolio by mid-2023, up from 2% previously.
These steps have already led to a significant reduction in The First Group Hotels’ environmental footprint, reducing its collective carbon emissions output while significantly reducing operational costs.
“We have received an overwhelmingly positive response from our guests toward our sustainability initiatives,” explained Karim Abdelhamid, Vice President of Hotel Operations for The First Group.
“The majority of international travellers are now committed to protecting the planet and value hotel and tourism operators who are conscious about the environment and want to make a difference in the global fight against climate change.”
“By measuring our operations against international benchmarks, we are also setting a precedent for the industry and building brand recognition and loyalty among our guests and partners.”