Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | DEWA organises Earth Day 2018 activities

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has organised several activities to mark Earth Day, which is observed on 22 April every year. This year’s event is under the theme ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, and DEWA’s Executive Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents took part in the activities, which included planting palm trees at DEWA’s head office. This was inspired by the values of The Year of Zayed and the principles established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Internal activities also included a documentary about the dangers that face the environment and a stand showing activities of DEWA’s climate change ambassadors, in addition to raising awareness about the importance of recycling plastic bottles. DEWA also organised a voluntary day to clean the beaches of the Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary from plastic waste, in cooperation with Dubai Municipality and the Emirates Marine Environment Group (EMEG). A large number of DEWA staff and the public took part in the activity. This is part of DEWA’s strategy to protect the environment and limit climate change.

“The UAE effectively contributes to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. The UAE has been at the forefront in implementing strategies that support sustainability, in accordance with the vision of our wise leadership. Observing Earth Day 2018 is especially important during the Year of Zayed, which celebrates the 100 years since the birth of the leader of sustainability, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who gave a special attention to the environment and its preservation. DEWA organises Earth Day 2018 activities as part of its corporate social responsibility and its role in promoting awareness about the importance of protecting the environment. This year, we focus on reducing plastic waste, in line with the UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Plan 2021 to make Dubai a smart and sustainable city whose elements are clean, healthy, and sustainable. It is also in-line with DEWA’s vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility and our efforts to make sustainability a lifestyle, to ensure a brighter and more sustainable future for generations to come,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

Al Tayer thanked Dubai Municipality and EMEG for their participation in organising the voluntary day to clean the Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary from waste, especially plastic. This will promote practices to protect the environment and the oceans by putting an end to plastic pollution.

"Earth Day is a special occasion to celebrate life and nature on our planet. For EMEG, it is also a good opportunity for talk about our planet’s major environmental problems and to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the environment. Plastics in the ocean have become an increasingly serious problem, not only for the environment but also for mankind. Modern life has made plastics an everyday thing, which is resulting in our oceans teeming with single-use plastics. We need people to understand the problem and change their habits. On Earth Day, EMEG, DEWA, and Dubai Municipality are working together to keep the Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary waste free," said Major Ali Saqr Al Suwaidi, President of Emirates Marine Environmental Group.

This voluntary day supports the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DEWA and EMEG to enhance cooperation between the two sides. This includes organising events and programmes related to biodiversity and launching voluntary initiatives to support DEWA’s vision and objectives. It also includes supporting the environmental and heritage programmes, and developing projects of common interest, especially those related to sustainability and environmental footprint. Around 80 DEWA staff volunteered to clean the beaches and plant mangroves trees during DEWA’s Sustainability Week, which was held from 11-15 March 2018. DEWA also cooperated with EMEG on the National Environment Day in February 2018 and the ‘Clean-Up the World’ campaign in November 2017 to clean up the coastal beaches of Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary, plant mangrove trees, and release finned black seabream fish back into the sea. During 2018, DEWA will organise several voluntary environmental activities in cooperation with EMEG.