Yesterday on June 5th, World Environment Day was observed which aims to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.

This year, the occasion holds special importance because it marks 50 years since the 1972 United Nations (UN) Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm which is considered the first international meeting on the environment. The event spurred the formation of environment ministries and agencies around the world, kickstarted a host of new global agreements to protect the environment, and paved the way for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister for Climate Change and Environment, gives us the lowdown on the World Environment Day activities in the country and the environmental protection efforts.

On Saturday morning, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) hosted an event in partnership with the Fujairah Environment Authority, Fujairah Adventures Center, and Emirates Diving Association (EDA) which engaged amateur divers in planting corals in Fujairah.

And on World Environment Day, they organised a mangrove-planting activity in Umm Al Quwain for schools and the general public in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and Archaeology and the Marine Environment Research Center in the emirate.

In addition, Shaemma Rashed, Climate Change Analyst at MOCCAE, participated in a virtual discussion on “Safety and Security of the Environment”.

“Through our activities, we aim to drive home the message that we all have a responsibility to protect our environment in our own ways because we only have one planet – there is no Planet B”, Minister quoted.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) also organised several internal and external activities in conjunction with World Environment Day, held under the theme ''Only One Earth'',

It also launched an awareness campaign on its social media accounts to encourage society to conserve electricity and water and adopt sustainable practices that protect the environment and natural resources. These include using digital services, electric vehicles, installing solar photovoltaic panels, planting trees and reducing plastic.

In addition, DEWA’s Innovation Centre at the Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park organised a cleaning campaign for the area around the Solar Park. This was in collaboration with Dubai Sports Council, the participants in Al Marmoom Ultramarathon, Dulsco, and FittGROUP.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD, and CEO of DEWA, stressed the need to engage all members of society in efforts to preserve natural resources, environmental habitats, and biodiversity, and reduce wrong environmental practices, to ensure environmental sustainability in Dubai to maintain the quality of life.

"We have launched pioneering initiatives and projects covering all clean and renewable energy technologies in Dubai. One of our most notable projects in this field is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park globally, using the Independent Power Producer (IPP). Its production capacity will reach 5,000 megawatts by 2030," he added.

"World Environment Day is an annual initiative close to our hearts. It brings like-minded companies such as DEWA, Dubai Municipality and Al Marmoom Ultramarathon together to make a difference on our planet. We must realise that there is only one earth and do our part to encourage and involve the wider community in making changes towards protecting and preserving the environment. The ‘Plogging’ initiative, where we walk whilst collecting litter, aims to advance Dulsco’s commitment to environmental sustainability and but create a chain reaction for youth to take the lead and make a difference," said David Stockton from Dulsco.

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