UAE welcomes environmental initiatives

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SDCJ representatives show Cool City model to His Excellency Dr Muhammad Saeed Al Kindi.

The United Arab Emirates is backing new initiatives to minimise the negative environmental impact of urban development.

Speaking earlier this month at the Abu Dhabi and Dubai launches of environmental project Cool City, federal minister of environment and water His Excellency Dr Muhammad Saeed Al Kindi identified action areas as sustainable construction, the use of renewable energy, efficient waste management and the combating of air pollution.

The Cool City concept - using available green technology in transport, urban development and architecture with a low carbon footprint - is being promoted by the Sustainable Urban Development Consortium for Japan and Gulf States Partnership (SDCJ), orchestrated by Nikken Sekkei, one of the world's largest architectural design firms.

Cool City would consume up to 60% less energy than a conventional urban area by using cutting-edge technologies tried and tested in Japan.

His Excellency Dr Al Kindi said that in order to cope with the fast pace of development in the UAE, a federal strategy had been introduced in which government institutions were urged to adopt practical solutions to achieve sustainable development.

He singled out vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum's recent implementation of a green buildings initiative, under which all civil and commercial buildings in Dubai will have to be designed and constructed to strict environmentally-friendly standards.

"This decision makes Dubai the first city in the Middle East and one of the first in the world to implement and enforce green building codes of practice and regulations," said His Excellency Dr Al Kindi.

Member of the Japanese House of Representatives and former Japanese minister of environment Yuriko Koike told the symposiums: "The UAE is one of the biggest oil-producing countries in the world. It is important to the world that...efficient energy consumption also takes place in oil producing countries. Utilising Japanese technology in the UAE will be good for our two countries, and at the same time it will be an excellent role model globally."

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