Abu Dhabi (Al Ittihad)
Since its establishment, the United Arab Emirates has realized the importance of protecting the environment in order to protect wild and marine life in the country, so it has introduced many legislations and laws at the federal and local levels that help preserve the environment and its natural resources, and prohibit any behavior that may pose a threat to it, which contributed to the consolidation of the approach to sustainability And the leadership of the UAE among the indicators of global competitiveness.
The environment occupied the interest and thought of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, and the founding leader considered the environment a trust that must be preserved for future generations, and he was keen to protect it by providing all the necessary regulations, legislation, programs and projects, so that he ordered not to cut down any Ghaf tree. Or other, for any reason whatsoever, and whoever violates this must be held accountable, out of concern and appreciation for protecting the environment.
The twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28), hosted by the UAE from November 30 to December 12 of this year at Expo Dubai, is an ideal opportunity to present the country’s initiatives, environmental legislation and its pioneering model in sustainability. Through a global platform that puts at the forefront of its goals, achieving sustainability and facilitating the global transition to a green economy as soon as possible.
Great interest
Caring for the environment in the UAE began to take on a new dimension since 1975, when the Council of Ministers issued a decision to form the “Supreme Committee for the Environment”, which was assigned the responsibility of coordinating between the seven emirates with regard to environmental issues, representing the country in scientific conferences and arranging its accession to international agreements.
In 1993, a federal law was issued to establish the Federal Environment Agency, a governmental body attached to the Council of Ministers, to confirm the state’s keenness to promote and support plans to protect the environment. The Ministry of Environment and Water was created in 2006, before adding the climate change file to the ministry in 2016.
At the local level, the emirates of the country witnessed the establishment of many bodies concerned with environmental affairs and the preservation of wildlife, foremost of which are environment departments and sections in local municipalities.
Environmental protection law
This legal protection of the environment in the United Arab Emirates culminated in the issuance of Federal Law No. 24 of 1999 in the matter of environmental protection and development, through which existing legislation in many developed countries was re-utilized in this field.
Perhaps the most important characteristic of the federal law is its accurate coverage of various environmental issues and problems, its consideration of the local reality and the characteristics that distinguish the UAE society, and its keenness to involve all concerned parties in the preparation, implementation and supervision, in addition to this law taking into account the obligations arranged by regional and international agreements and protocols, in addition to its flexibility in Dealing with many environmental issues, especially those related to development in the UAE, in order to confirm the complementary relationship between environment and development.
This law aims to protect the environment and preserve its quality, combat pollution in its various forms, and avoid any immediate or long-term damages or effects as a result of plans or programs for economic, agricultural, urban development, or others. The law also aims to develop natural resources and preserve biodiversity. In the UAE and exploiting it in the best way for the benefit of the present and successive generations and protecting society, human health and other living beings from all activities and actions harmful to the environment.
The law stipulated the establishment of a national system for environmental monitoring and plans to confront environmental emergencies and disasters, and to protect the country’s beaches, the marine environment, its natural resources, drinking water, groundwater, and the air from pollution, as well as the protection of natural reserves and the organisms that live in them.
sustainable environment
In 2015, the Federal National Council approved a draft federal law amending some provisions of Federal Law No. 24 of 1999 regarding the protection and development of the environment, and the Council was keen that its provisions apply to the state’s territory, including free zones.
The Federal National Council stressed the importance of the draft law in protecting and developing the environment in line with developments in the environment, to provide a high quality of life in a benevolent and sustainable environment, in addition to strengthening efforts aimed at protecting the natural environment, which is one of the priorities of the Emirates, which issued the first laws to regulate hunting and protect life. Wild and wild about 30 years ago.
The Council stressed the importance of the draft law in activating the protection of nature and limiting the impact of climate change on the urban environment, the environmental system and a sustainable environment, and in developing the legislative system, especially since the UAE has ratified the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships under Federal Decree No. 74 of 2006, which entered into force Implementation as of April 14, 2007 due to the special situation of the Gulf region, the increasing global demand for oil, the massive urban growth on the country’s coasts, and to maintain the cleanliness of the country’s waters and beaches.
air quality
In order to protect the air from pollution, many legislations were issued in the UAE, including the general hygiene system and health conditions for public commercial stores No. (11) of 1972, and the protection of air from pollution was one of the objectives of Federal Law No. 24 of 1999 regarding the protection and development of the environment, so that work The law requires identifying air pollutants and taking legal measures to ban or reduce them, so that they are within permissible limits.
The law obligated individuals and owners of establishments and projects to take specific controls to reduce air pollution. As a result, the UAE witnessed a remarkable improvement in air quality levels, starting with an increase in the level of green days, through a decrease in the percentage of most air pollutants in the country. In continuation of the UAE’s efforts to protect the air from pollution, Cabinet Resolution No. 12 of 2006 was issued regarding a system for protecting air from pollution, and Cabinet Resolution No. 20 of 2008 regarding regulating the activities of crushers and quarries and transporting their products, in the context of keenness to address the negative effects of these activities, and to preserve human health and the environment.
Biodiversity protection
The issue of biodiversity has received great attention in the UAE since the era of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, as he devoted a large part of his life to protecting nature so that future generations could enjoy a sustainable vital environment. at the regional and global levels. The state has issued many legislations related to the protection of its biodiversity, such as Federal Law No. (23) of 1999 regarding the exploitation, protection and development of living aquatic resources in the UAE, and Federal Law No. (24) of 1999 regarding the protection and development of the environment, which prohibits hunting, transporting, killing or Harming terrestrial or marine organisms or carrying out actions that would eradicate them, damaging or destroying geological or geographical formations or areas that are home to animal or plant species or their reproduction, introducing alien species to the protected area and polluting the soil, water or air of the protected area, as issued in this regard by law Federal No. (11) of 2002 regarding the regulation and control of international trade in animals and plants threatened with extinction and its implementing regulations.
Legislations aimed at protecting the environment also included Federal Law No. (9) of 2020 regarding the biosafety of genetically modified organisms and their products and its executive regulations, and Federal Law No. (8) of 2021 regarding access to genetic resources and their derivatives and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use and its regulations. executive.
Ozone protection
Since its accession to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer in 1989 AD and the “Montreal Protocol” in 1990 AD, the UAE has put in place a package of measures to fulfill its obligations in the Convention, the Protocol, its amendments, and the decisions of the Conferences of the States Parties. The specified time frame is by the year 2010.
In 2012, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, in cooperation with the authorities and concerned authorities in the country, issued a regulatory decision aimed at phasing out HCFCs, according to the rates and timeframes specified in the decision of the Nineteenth Meeting of the Parties, leading to the date of their total ban in 2040.
In accordance with its decision No. 26 of 2014, the Council of Ministers adopted the national system for substances that deplete the ozone layer, and the system subjected all devices, equipment and products in which substances that deplete the ozone layer are used to control and prohibited the import of the user from them, and the system also prohibited the import, export or re-export of substances that deplete the ozone layer. Controlled ozone to and from countries not party to the Montreal Protocol.
Single use products
The UAE continued its efforts to promote the principle of environmental sustainability at the federal and local levels, and Ministerial Resolution No. 380 of 2022 regarding regulating the use of single-use products in the country’s markets constituted one of the measures aimed at protecting the environment from pollution resulting from the consumption of such products. The decision limits the consumption of plastic bags and regulates the production, circulation and use of single-use products. It prohibits the import, production or circulation of single-use plastic shopping bags as of January 1, 2024 at the federal level, including biodegradable plastic bags. It also prohibits the import, production or circulation of bags. Single-use, no matter what material it is made of, as well as from January 1, 2024 as well.
In the same context, and as of January 1, 2026, it is prohibited to import, produce, or trade consumer plastic products, which include soft drink cups and covers, cutlery (spoons, forks, knives, and chopsticks), plates, pipettes, stirrers, food containers and boxes made of “foam” material. (styrofoam). The decision also called on all concerned authorities, the competent authority, and consumers to implement mechanisms and practices that reduce the production and consumption of single-use products, including packages and packaging materials made partially or completely of plastic materials, including those used in food packaging, plastic bottles, cotton sticks, and bags of crackers. Cigarette butts, wipes, balloons and balloon sticks.
State targets
As part of its efforts to achieve sustainability and diversify energy sources, the UAE has adopted a federal law regulating the connection of distributed renewable energy production units to the electrical grid, which aims to enable people to produce electric energy from renewable energy sources, and to achieve the state’s objectives by promoting diversification of energy sources and optimal utilization of natural resources. , in order to ensure a reduction in emissions and access to climate neutrality.
The UAE government has also adopted the National Building Regulations, which include sustainability guides for buildings, roads, federal housing, and the National Guide for Building Sustainability for the two pillars of operation and maintenance, ensuring the achievement of strategic results and targets in terms of reducing the use of materials and natural resources by 15%, and reducing the carbon footprint by 5%. , Reducing energy in roads by 45%, reducing energy in buildings and housing by 25%, and reducing water consumption by 16%. The UAE issued Federal Law No. (12) of 2018 regarding integrated waste management and its executive regulations to regulate the waste management process and standardize mechanisms and methods for proper disposal.
great efforts
With the aim of regulating used oil trading activities, Cabinet Resolution No. (33) of 2018 was issued regarding the trading of used oils, which aims to prevent it from causing environmental pollution or harming public health.
At the local level, a number of local governments have launched the process of legalizing and banning the use of plastic bags, as part of the UAE government’s vision to promote sustainable living.
As part of the UAE’s participation in international efforts to address environmental problems, the country has signed and ratified several international environmental agreements such as the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Transport of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, and the United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification. , Rotterdam Convention on Prior Consent for International Trade in Any Hazardous Chemicals or Pesticides, Stockholm Convention on Organic Pollutants, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, among others.
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