The UAE's long term 2012-20121 national initiative to build a green economy has been listed by the International Labour Organisation among national initiatives adopted by twenty one countries to promote environmental sustainability and decent work.
The said initiative was announced in January 2012 by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, under the slogan: "A green economy for sustainable development."
The listing of the initiative came in a report titled "Sustainable development, decent work and green jobs" which is the fifth item on the ILO's decent work agenda. The report is being discussed during the 102nd Session of the International Labour Conference which runs between 5 - 20 June 2013.
The report says the UAE's "Green Economy for Sustainable Development (2012-21), aims to position the country as a centre for the export and re-export of green products and technologies through programmes and policies in the areas of energy, agriculture, investment, sustainable transport and construction." Assistant Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Labour, Hamad Bin Demas, in a statement he read out on behalf of the Gulf states during the discussions in Geneva, said the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries fully recognise that environmental issues do not stop at the national borders of states, and have become a regional and international concern for the developing and the developed countries alike.
He affirmed that the governments of the GCC member states seek to draw up programmes and strategies to address these issues through scientific methods so as to achieve sustainable development and the shift to knowledge-based economy.
He also affirmed that the GCC member countries are on the right path to addressing environmental issues and the challenges to the labour markets in the Gulf region.
According to ILO, sustainable development emphasises a holistic, equitable and far-sighted approach to decision-making at all levels. It emphasizes not just strong economic performance but intra-generational and intergenerational equity. It rests on integration and a balanced consideration of social, economic and environmental goals and objectives in both public and private decision-making.
The concept of green economy focuses primarily on the intersection between environment and economy. This recalls the 1992 Rio Conference: the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
Ben Demas noted that through this initiative, the UAE aims to become one of the world leaders in this area as well as a centre for the export and re-export of green products and technologies, and to maintain a sustainable environment to support long-term economic growth.
"Our goal from this national initiative is clear, that is to build an economy that protects the environment as well as an environment that supports the growth of the economy. We in the UAE, within the vision 2021, are striving to build a diversified economy based on knowledge and innovation, through which we can provide excellent employment opportunities to our citizens. Through this, we can protect our natural and environmental resources, and strengthen our competitive position in global markets, especially in the areas of renewable energy products and technologies on the green economy," he quoted Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum as saying in the announcement of the UAE initiative in 2012.
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