Sustainable energy remains UAE's top priority

Dubai - The UAE government has enabled a vibrant ecosystem of sustainability focused innovation.

UAE's top priority has always been its people and their happiness and it has aggressively pursued every opportunity to provide healthy and sustainable living.
On Saturday the first peaceful nuclear energy reactor in the Arab world at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Station in Abu Dhabi was operational paving way for sustainable energy. The nuclear energy will be used to meet nation's sustainable energy needs.

"The development is yet another astounding feature of the UAE governments Green Economy Initiative launched back in 2012. The UAE has always proven to be a country way ahead of others in not just its initiatives and but also the follow up to complete these projects. Sustainability of energy as well as the economy is top priority to the high visionary leaders of UAE. Such developments would ensure the progress and growth of the country in these difficult times," said Bal Krishen, Chairman, Century Financial
The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant is another instance of the UAE leading the world in visionary policies that will create a more sustainable tomorrow.
Prabhu Ramachandran, Founder and CEO of Facilio Inc, said: "The UAE government has enabled a vibrant ecosystem of sustainability focused innovation, as reflected by Etihad ESCO and Dewa's 10x project. As a key player in the economy, the UAE real estate industry too is proving the inherent value in enhancing efficiencies to save energy, rather than having to generate more. Ultimately, the cohesive focus on sustainability, led by a proactive administration, is creating a transformation in values and behaviour, down to community and individual level, which will set standards for the rest of the globe to emulate."
Clean environment and it protection has been top priority for the leadership and this has been affirmed in the nation's policies too. The mega event Expo 2020 Dubai has a dedicated theme for sustainability and its objectives are aligned to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Expo's Global Best Practice Programme seeks to promote projects that are providing tangible solutions that are in line with the SDGs. Through the programme's aims for collaboration, creativity, sustainable impact and transference, Expo seeks to enhance the visibility of best practices for a better 2030. The programme contains five focus areas: Inclusive and sustainable service delivery; livelihoods and enterprise development; resilient habitats; and social development and water, food and energy security.
Sustainability is at the heart of the UAE's development strategy. The country is determined to adapt and use green technologies to ensure that all of its residents live in a greener, healthier place. Take for example Dubai's sustainable development targets that include a 30 per cent reduction of energy and water consumption in the Emirate and a 25 per cent increase in solar energy production, both by 2030. Across the UAE, green targets include 50 per cent clean energy in the total energy mix by 2050, and the recycling or reusing of 75 per cent municipal solid waste by 2021.
"This approach to sustainability, of reducing and reusing, is becoming much more common. We're receiving more interests in our green technologies, especially those that help organisations monitor and reduce the energy consumption in their offices and factories. Buildings account for approximately 40 per cent of the world's energy consumption, and that figure is still rising. We're seeing similar interest in other energy efficiency and green technologies, including e-mobility and energy-optimised data centers," said Marwan Zeidan, Real Estate and Healthcare Segment Director, Middle East and Africa, Schneider Electric.
"The challenge we all have is growing populations, bigger cities, and increased digital lifestyles. We've got to find a way to ensure that everyone has access to clean, affordable energy that's going to power our homes, cars, offices, factories and infrastructure without increasing carbon emissions.. What's exciting for us is how Expo2020 has taken on this issue and will be showcasing big ideas around mobility and sustainability which will bring opportunity to all. Many of us realise, especially the UAE's leadership, that the biggest challenge we are going to face is climate change. By bringing together governments, business, and the public, we can work to find answers that'll lead to a greener, healthier, and more progressive world for us all."
Chandra Dake, executive chairman and group CEO, Dake Group, said: "We congratulate UAE on being the first Arab country to use Nuclear energy for peaceful purpose. UAE is adopting sustainability in a big way, it can be seen in grand vision for Expo 2020 Dubai, which is bringing all innovations for the world at one place."
Dake Rechsand, which facilitates sustainability through water conservation and desert farming, believes roads and pathways can be converted into water conserving resources by harvesting. Rechsand makes desert farming easy, by improving water retention in desert sand, allowing to produce food and vegetation like never before.
"Our vision is to see the UAE to become one of the major exporters of organic food to the world market, within next 5-6 years. These technologies are made out of desert sand, which is considered to have no economic value. We are very proud to contribute towards UAE's journey of self-sustainability," added Dake. - sandhya@khaleejtimes.com