Dubai Supreme Council of Energy Presents Sustainable Arabia Clean Energy Conference Recommendations

In collaboration with the UNDP On May 2-3, in Dubai, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) hosted a regional policy dialogue among concerned parties from the Arab countries to prepare for the forthcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June 2012, Rio De Janeiro . The “Sustainable Arabia: Clean Energy” conference discussed the Green Economy and how it is linked to sustainable development. The forum came up with a set of important recommendations that should be taken into account to support the foundations of sustainable development driven in the Arab countries. “These recommendations are of great importance and reflect the UAE’s concern as being a global leading hub for research, development and sustainability. The UAE has made great strides and adopted several leading initiatives in this field. I’d like here to refer to the quote of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE , “The UAE is striving to develop and boost its rich resources and expertise in the international energy markets and enhance its leading role as a world centre for renewable energy research and development.”, and also the quote of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, ‘We recognize that preserving our energy resources will be one of the greatest challenges in our drive towards sustainable development. This, however, will not materialize unless the different facets of our society adopt energy conservation principles in their core values. The future generations will be the chief beneficiary of our achievements and the best judge of what we accomplish in this field,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the DSCE. “The recommendations also tackled all social and development facets and the importance of reconsidering the prioritization of the development’s and to notably give the social pillar greater attention in order to achieve social justice, create new job opportunities, and to reduce the brain drain, especially amongst the youth.” “The recommendations also discussed the main regional challenges including poverty eradication, job creation, the right to development, social cohesion, women's rights, the right to access information and knowledge, the needs of youth, trade liberalization, the transfer and localization of appropriate technology, finance mechanisms and capacity building,” added His Excellency. Furthermore, the recommendations tackled the emerging challenges facing the Arab countries and adaptation to climate change risks, the impacts of the global financial and economic crisis, and the unprecedented population growth and urbanization over the past years. The conference concluded that Green Economy should not be an alternative for sustainable development but rather a tool to achieve it. Green economy should not be used as: a) a pretext to create trade barriers and environmental standards that are difficult to implement; b) a precondition for providing financial support and aid to recipient countries; c) a mean to restrict the right of developing countries to utilize their natural resources according to their own development priorities; d) a tool to exempt developed countries from honoring their commitments towards developing countries. The recommendations also stressed that any new sustainable development goals should address long standing issues like food security, water and land degradation, and should focus on eradicating poverty, set clear indicators, and binding commitments from developed countries towards developing countries, including the provision of adequate financial support, transfer of appropriate technology and capacity building to achieve sustainable development goals. The participants hailed the efforts made by the United Arab Emirates, which has always been at the forefront to set the policy of “Green Economy For Sustainable Development”, launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of The UAE and Ruler of Dubai. In addition, The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy has been established to set, develop and implement strategic policies in the energy sector, to effectively plan and implement the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030. Significant steps were taken in the region to shift to clean energy systems. Barriers such as energy subsidies, reforming legislatives and institutional frameworks need to be overcome. The conference came up with the fact that the Arab region suffers from food insecurity with different degrees; there is a strong need for policy coherence especially when we come to tackle the complex interconnectivity between energy-water-food-climate, which is currently lacking in the region. Also the conference stressed the issue of effective governance, involving all stakeholders as key to optimize the decision-making process. Public engagement in decision-making is essential for achieving sustainability. Civil society has a crucial role to play in the transition to the Green Economy. Governments should establish comprehensive institutional frameworks in order to create an environment that is conducive to private investments. In view of these recommendations, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), seeks to set an integrated programme for sustainability and social development to benefit Arab countries in the region.