UAE: New initiatives announced to bid single-use plastics, paper goodbye in RAK

Ras Al Khaimah Municipality revealed the ‘single-use plastic no more’ and the ‘go paperless’ initiatives on Thursday during a workshop to launch new green public procurement programmes in the Emirate.

The green public procurement programme of Ras Al Khaimah has supported the adoption of sustainable procurement practices in the Emirate since 2020.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, chairman of the Public Service Department of the RAK government, many officials from government entities and private organisations attended the event.

Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, director-general of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, Dr Saif Alghais, Yousef Alblooshi, director-general of the Department of Finance, and Ramy Jallad, CEO of RAKEZ, formalised their commitment to the new initiatives in a signing ceremony in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi.

While presenting the ‘single-use plastic no more’ initiative, Dr Saif Al Ghais, director-general of the Environment Protection and Development Authority, said, “Elimination of single-use plastics is a global priority as it also enhances the sustainability of our resources. We want to do our part, both by directly reducing consumption of these types of products in the government and also by promoting intervention in the market through a variety of measures”.

Ramy Jallad, the CEO of RAKEZ said the go-paperless initiative is a key area of opportunity is the use of electronic methods of communication and certification, accompanied by more extensive employee awareness and controls.

The Green Public Procurement program was started in 2020 with the introduction of criteria for procurement of frequently purchased product categories, such as paper, furniture, light vehicles, air conditioning, household appliances, carpets, IT equipment and others.

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The new initiatives take a further step by reducing the consumption of items with high environmental impact. The relevant regulation can be found on the Reem website of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, www.reem.rak.ae.

The Green Public Procurement program is an enabler of the Ras Al Khaimah Energy Efficiency and Renewables Strategy 2040, established under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.

The strategy targets 30 per cent energy savings, 20 per cent water savings, and 20 per cent contribution of electricity from renewable sources by 2040. The strategy supports the UAE commitments for climate change mitigation and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• Ras Al Khaimah