Mbabane, May 12, WAM/ His Excellency Ahmed Abdullah Al Shehhi and Dr. Adnan Hamad Al Hammadi, members of the Parliamentary Division of the Federal National Council, participated in the work of the second day of the tenth consultative meeting of the Association of Senates, Shura Councils and Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab World, held in the Kingdom of Eswatini, which discussed the importance of the green economy. In achieving sustainable development in Africa and the Arab world.
Ahmed Al-Shehhi stressed in a speech to the Parliamentary Division that the stakes for the growth and prosperity of the economy in our Arab and African countries in light of these difficult challenges are mainly linked to strengthening cooperation, solidarity and the Afro-Arab strategic partnership, to create more investment opportunities in the sectors of the new economy, with the need for cooperation between the various parties. To remove obstacles to green economy policies, trade flows, investment and green finance.
He presented the proposals of the UAE Parliamentary Division in this regard, which are first: the enactment and development of legislation and laws that encourage green growth, and allow increased investment in green initiatives and projects through a set of facilities, privileges, tax incentives and customs exemptions, while seeking to remove all obstacles that impede the path towards green economics.
Second: Parliaments, within their mandate, approve the green budget (i.e. a budget that takes into account the dimensions of environment, governance and social responsibility in spending), in addition to increasing financial allocations for research and development programs that support the green economy and confront climate change.
Third: The role of parliaments in strengthening oversight and vigorous follow-up of commitments related to achieving the goals of the “Paris Climate Agreement” and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, according to their priorities, system and national agenda.
Fourth: Enhancing cooperation and strategic partnerships and joint action to support the green economy, reduce climate change and adapt to it. In this context, we call for active participation and contribution to the program and action plan of the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28), which It will be held in the UAE at Dubai Expo City, during the month of November 2023.
Fifth: Exchanging experiences, knowledge and good practices among parliamentarians in the field of green economy, and benefiting from best international practices and expertise in this regard, which will positively reflect on the implementation of green economy policies.
His Excellency stressed that the UAE seeks to transform climate challenges into opportunities for present and future generations by investing in the green economy. Therefore, the country has adopted the circular economy as a major driver in this vital file. The ambitious forward-looking vision of the wise leadership in transforming the national economy into a sustainable, low-carbon green economy depends on Primarily based on innovation, digitization and modern technology, which prompted the UAE to work hard at an accelerated and confident pace towards the transformation of the green economy, and to achieve qualitative and ambitious achievements in this promising future economy, within the framework of its goals for the next fifty years, and its green national agenda.
He added that the UAE was the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to announce its goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and it led the clean energy locomotive in the region through the “Masdar” initiative, the most sustainable environmental city in the world, and it established the “Shams 1 project”, which is considered The largest concentrated solar power plant in the world.. The country is one of the largest investors in the world in renewable energy projects, as it has invested $50 billion in more than 70 countries, and based on all that, these impressive achievements paved the way for the country to win the honor of hosting the twenty-eighth session of « The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change »(COP 28), to be held in Dubai Expo City in 2023.
