UAE to approve green economy strategy that will create 160,000 new jobs

The UAE will soon approve a green growth plan that will create 160,000 jobs in different parts of the emirates and boost the economy by up to 5 per cent by 2030, the Green Economy & Green Jobs briefing in Dubai was told this morning.

“The Green Growth Plan is under final review by the UAE cabinet,” Global Green Growth Institute UAE representative Jinyoung Jim said. The Global Green Growth Institute developed the plan on behalf of the UAE government in an engagement programme that involved more than 100 meetings with key stakeholders.

Kim said the plan calls for action in clean energy; energy efficiency; waste treatment and transport. The plan envisages these actions leading to an increase in the UAE’s GDP of 4.5-5 and a reduction in the emirates’ carbon emissions by 68 megatons by 2020. More than 5,000 cubic metres of water will be saved and the UAE will reduce waste material production by 2.2 million tonnes.

Kim said that the plan calls for the UAE to create a ministerial-level board of directors representing all seven emirates to drive the green growth strategy. This will be the first all-emirates body responsible for promoting sustainable employment and employment in green industries.

Chairman of the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence Waleed Salman told the briefing that Dubai’s sustainability plan calls for a 16 per cent reduction in the emirate’s carbon emissions by 2021.