Dubai (IINA) : The Dubai Municipality on Wednesday launched its first corporate policy on climate change in support of the country’s vision for sustainable green development.

According to WAM, the Dubai Municipality’s climate change policy is an extension of the initiatives and projects undertaken by the emirate at the corporate level to adapt to the impact of this phenomenon and support the process of transforming Dubai into a low-carbon green economy.

The policy outlines the main climate change issues that must be addressed, targeting both the reduction of emissions (mitigation) and adaptation to the impact of climate change with regard to all operations and activities of municipality services at the level of the emirate.

This policy is also in conjunction with many other programs and initiatives adopted by the municipality in dealing with climate change, which includes the Car Free Day initiative, Blue Carbon Project, Coastal Protection Project, as well as projects concerned with the extraction of methane gas from the landfills, and waste-to-energy.

According to Hussein Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, the policy was developed using examples of international best practices.

“These were not only from government sources, but from climate change policies of large international private sector corporations such as Intel and the Coca-Cola. Their corporate policies have paved the way for the implementation of many successful programs and initiatives for climate change mitigation and adaptation,” he said.

The policy is in line with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2021, launched by the Executive Council of Dubai, headed by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council.It is also aligned with the UAE Vision 2021, which acknowledges that effects of climate change caused by human activities may already be occurring and could get worse in the future.

The vision expects the UAE to find ways to adapt to the expected impact of climate change by reducing vulnerabilities (weaknesses) by increasing the flexibility of communities, and environmental and economic systems, including the productive sectors and vital infrastructure.The policy is a commitment of the government to take all necessary measures to protect the environment and conserve the natural resources of the emirate from the impacts of climate change, stated Alia Al-Harmoudi, Director of the Environment Department.

Its main objectives are to spread awareness and knowledge about climate change, increase institutional capacities to manage this phenomenon, and facilitate collaboration amongst local and federal authorities to combat climate change, she added.