Ban Ki-moon Gives Seal of Approval to Dubais Low Carbon Development

Government

Ban Ki-moon Gives Seal of Approval to Dubais Low Carbon Development

Dubai, UAE: 12 February 2015: HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, met Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations during the Government Summit, held in Dubai from 9-11 February, to review the progress of Dubais Low Carbon Development. The meeting was attended by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of The Supreme Council of Energy and MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). The Vice Chairman briefed the UN delegation about the programme, attended by staff from the Supreme Council and the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (Dubai Carbon).

The Supreme Council of Energy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) started an integrated collaboration in 2011, when an agreement launching Dubai Carbon was signed by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum in the presence of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the Secretary General, amongst numerous dignitaries. The organisations jointly founded Dubai Carbon as a purpose vehicle to transform Dubai into a low-carbon economy and be a think tank and advisory service. Dubai Carbon facilitates knowledge transfer and capacity building throughout the UAE and the region.

Dubai Carbon, under the umbrella of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, has deployed a strategy to reduce carbon emissions that is the first of its kind in the region. It supports the UAE Vision 2021, to transform the UAE into be one of the best countries in the world by 2021. The strategy also supports the national long-term Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to enhance competitiveness and economic sustainability of the UAE, and make it a global role model in sustainability and green initiatives. Dubai Carbons activities complement the Dubai Strategic Plan 2021, through the support and maintenance of Dubai's leading position at the regional level and its competitiveness at the global level, as well as Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy to reduce energy consumption by 30% by 2030, said Al Tayer.
Dubai Carbon is at the forefront of reducing carbon emissions locally and regionally. Its core business is low-carbon advisory aimed at creating award-winning carbon management initiatives in the private and public sector, renewable energy projects, trainings and carbon credit registration under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Through carbon foot- printing and energy audits, Dubai Carbon helps organisations map out their emissions and identify opportunities for emission reductions, which result in cost efficiencies and increased revenues, added Al Tayer.

HE Ban Ki-moon stated: The Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence has come a long way since its establishment. It gives me great pride to see how it has developed into an influential and integral part of the low-carbon and green economy movement in the UAE since 2011. Dubai Carbon is a prime example of a fit-for-purpose Public Private Partnership integrating competencies of different UN agencies under the leadership of UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and in close cooperation with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy

"Through our partnership with the UAE Government, our innovative work with DCCE and young Carbon Ambassadors, we at UNDP trust that innovative solutions towards lowering carbon emissions, sustainable use of natural resources and greening the economy will greatly contribute to global agenda of climate change and sustainable development goals" said Sayed Aqa, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative
During the briefing, the progress on the collaboration between the Supreme Council of Energy and the UNDP was evaluated, and who both expressed their willingness to extend their collaboration.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of The Supreme Council of Energy and MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) showed the competitive results that DEWA has achieved surpassing the private sector and even leading European and American companies in efficiency and reliability. This is demonstrated by reducing losses in the electricity transmission and distribution networks to just 3.46%, compared to 6-7% in Europe and the US. We also reduced our water networks line losses to around 9% compared to 15% in North America, setting another international benchmark. DEWAs results are some of the best in the world. DEWAs customer minutes lost per year is now only 4.9% minutes, significantly better than 15 minutes recorded by our counterparts in the European Union. The UAE, represented by DEWA, has been ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and fourth globally, for the second consecutive year, in getting electricity as per the World Banks Doing Business Report.
DEWA also launched the energy demand strategy, which includes eight major programmes such as regulations for green building construction, Retrofitting of existing buildings, district cooling, standards and labels for Appliances and Equipment, Water Reuse and Efficient Irrigation, Outdoor Lighting, to support energy conservation, and Demand Response.

Founding Dubai Carbon was the result of a unique approach to leverage the international know-how of the United Nations and local insights within a Public Private Partnership. Since its inception in 2011, Dubai Carbon has contributed to Dubais low-carbon development in a creative and resourceful manner and always in close collaboration with our clients and partners in order to transfer this knowledge, said Waleed Salman, Chairman of Dubai Carbon.
With the close support and cooperation of the UAE authorities, the UNDP has registered five Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in the United Arab Emirates. This places the UAE second only to Egypt in the Arab region, in the number of its registered CDM projects.
These CDM projects include a range of industrial and commercial sectors and involve innovative renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. They now act to serve as beacon initiatives, as Dubai, under the leadership of the Supreme Council of Energy, pursues a new and highly-ambitious strategy to develop a low-carbon economy.
Since 2011, the four years of implementation have resulted in a series of initiatives. Initially Dubai Carbon provided access to environmental finance including carbon credits to government stakeholders. Soon the collaboration became so successful, that in 2013 further initiatives were established. Amongst them is a series of annual knowledge products namely the State of Green Economy Report and the State of Energy Report, as well as a youth-engagement programme training UAE Nationals for the challenges as future low-carbon leaders in the job market: The Carbon Ambassador Programme.

Two of these students from the Carbon Ambassador Programme, Noura Al Marzouqi and Bader Ahmed Ali Al Hammadi, were congratulated by Ban Ki-moon, as they briefly presented the achievements of all students from the ongoing programme.
The briefing was also attended by Ivano Iannelli, CEO of Dubai Carbon, on the sidelines of The Government Summit, held between 911 February in the Madinat Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai. The Carbon Ambassador class of 2014-15 will graduate during WETEX in April 2015.