More than just a change of name for ministry, say environmental experts

Environmental experts and government consultants have said the renaming of the Ministry of Environment and Water it is a step in the right direction and an accurate representation of where the UAE is in terms of climate change.

ABU DHABI // Environmental experts and government consultants said the renaming of the Ministry of Environment and Water was a step in the right direction and an accurate representation of where the UAE is in terms of climate change.

Saravanan D, senior manager of clean energy and sustainability service with Ernst and Young, has consulted with the Government on its sustainability policy for seven years.

“The transformation is happening in the UAE,” he said.

He said the UAE’s nascent climate-change policy was still being formed and drafted to convince general views that the future would rely on a stance of non-reliance on fossil fuels.

“It’s an amazing transformation, now that they are renaming the ministry to focus on climate change, it’s a milestone, a mark, with the UAE to address this issue,” he said.

Under the restructuring of government departments, ministries are meant to be reshuffled to better foster cooperation and efficiency.

According to Saravanan, previously under Mofa, the directorate handled anything related to climate change, while the Ministry of Environment had responsibilities under their purview that overlapped. “I think this restructuring is good because it gives a clarity, at least within the government function, to see who is going to lead the effort to address climate change,” he said.

Habiba Al Marashi, chairperson of the Emirates Environmental Group, a non-profit that advocates environmentalism in corporations and society, said non-government organisations would now get a boost in their activities.

“Since this country has accustomed the world to [it] being a pioneer in many issues, I think now is the right time to lead,” she said.

She said this would be a solid step to going forward and being more organised.

“It will connect directly with our strategies and it will tie strongly with the sustainability goals and added efficiency and resourcefulness,” she said.

Aglaia Ntili, managing director of Sustainability Knowledge Group, an environmental consultancy firm, said that the move signified more.

“Renaming the Ministry of Environment and Water to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment demonstrates the commitment to the new green economy and sustainability.

“It lays the foundation for the happiness of future generations, as happiness cannot be found in a deteriorating natural environment.

“And most importantly, it manifests the transition to a new era of advanced legislation and active stakeholder engagement,” she said.