Money and business

"UAE circular economy" Discusses new plans and proposals for implementation "Policy 2021-2031"

ABU DHABI, 9 DECEMBER WAM / The Emirates Circular Economy Council held its first meeting for the year 2024 with its new formation, headed by His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Circular Economy Council, where the Council discussed a number of proposals and new directions for implementing the “Circular Economy Policy 2021-2031.” “This contributes to enhancing sustainability and the effective use of resources, as well as concerted national efforts to accelerate the transition towards an innovative and sustainable circular economic model.

The Council touched on a number of future projects proposed to enhance the circular economy in the country, as well as the importance of completing work on the “first batch” of policies, and starting the “second batch” process, while benefiting from the results of the “Aluminum Recycling Alliance,” which aims to create Gradual change in aluminum recycling operations in the UAE.

His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Circular Economy Council, stressed that the UAE, thanks to the directives of its wise leadership, has paid great attention to developing an integrated system for the circular economy, through launching national policies, initiatives and strategies that support achieving sustainable economic development in the country, including It is in line with the objectives of the “We are the Emirates 2031” vision.

His Excellency said that today’s meeting represents an important milestone towards accelerating the pace of work to transform the country into its new economic model based on knowledge and innovation, of which the circular economy is one of its basic pillars, as we will work to integrate innovation and digital transformation into circular economy initiatives, and enhance communication with federal and local government agencies. concerned and the private sector to follow up on the implementation of the National Circular Economy Agenda, consisting of 22 policies previously adopted by the Council, in a way that strengthens the UAE’s position as a global center for the circular economy by the next decade.

During the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the Landmark Group, a leader in the retail and hospitality sector, the Council reviewed the most prominent milestones that the country has witnessed in the transition towards the circular economy model, as it pointed to a number of major achievements and strategic initiatives that the UAE has achieved during the past stage in this regard. The most prominent of which is the integration of the circular economy into the work of the Investopia Summit, which succeeded during its past three editions in providing an innovative investment platform that highlights global investment opportunities and the development of sustainable partnerships in the circular economy sectors, with a focus on the manufacturing sectors. Green infrastructure and transportation.

During the years 2022-2023, the Emirates Circular Economy Council held four meetings, as part of its continuing efforts towards achieving sustainable development goals and supporting the transition towards a circular economy model at the national level. The series of dialogue sessions launched by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment also provided a unified platform for exchanging knowledge, building capabilities and supporting innovation. Among stakeholders>

The efforts made by the Circular Economy Policy Committee also contributed to establishing effective mechanisms to implement the circular economy policy agenda and ensure the achievement of its goals, through the diversity of its members from the governmental, private and academic sectors.

Following the end of the meeting, His Excellency Bin Touq witnessed the opening of the “Landmark Circulalife” textile recycling facility, affiliated with the Landmark Group, which is the first of its kind in the UAE and the region. His Excellency explained that cooperation with Landmark comes within the framework of the UAE’s commitment to promoting green growth, and that By supporting partnerships between the government and private sectors, which consolidates the country’s position as a global center that embraces the principles of the circular economy.

The factory combines recycling and fiber recovery techniques with customer interaction programs, by reprocessing used textiles, by treating more than 200,000 tons of textile waste, 90% of which ends up in unused landfills.

For her part, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of the UAE Independent Accelerators Authority for Climate Change, said: As we reach the halfway point in our ten-year strategy, this achievement represents an opportunity to celebrate what we have achieved and review our approach where needed. The progress we have made is encouraging, but the road ahead requires greater commitment, continued innovation, and accountability towards clear, measurable goals. We must not only set ambitious goals, but rather bear responsibility for achieving them through transparent follow-up and regular reporting.

For her part, Renuka Jagtiani, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Landmark Group, said that protecting the environment is a shared responsibility and is difficult to achieve alone, as our journey towards adopting sustainable practices began more than a decade ago with the launch of the sustainable Splash collection, and we will then continue to launch many initiatives across the various stages of the life cycle. Our products and operations, with the aim of reducing our environmental impact and promoting the circular economy.

During the meeting, the Emirates Circular Economy Council reviewed a number of future proposals, the most important of which is the “Circular Economy Platform for Innovation”, to accelerate cooperation among stakeholders, and aims to strengthen partnerships and implement solutions that are in line with the Council’s strategic objectives.

Council members also discussed mechanisms for enhancing cooperation between the public and private sectors, benefiting from international experiences, and supporting communication with international organizations and institutions to implement best practices in this field. The discussions also addressed the proposal to relaunch the “Circular Economy Dialogues” series, which was previously launched by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. After reformulating it to be a cooperative platform with the private sector>

During its meeting, the Council noted the importance of issuing the “Circular Economy Pathways” report, which highlighted the pioneering efforts and actions taken by partners in the seven emirates to support the transition towards a circular economy.

During the next phase, the Council aims to encourage the participation of the private sector in projects, initiatives and programs related to the circular economy, and to encourage partnership projects between the public and private sectors, in addition to developing scientific studies and research in related fields, in a way that contributes to achieving national goals and enhancing environmental sustainability.

The new formation of the Council, headed by His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, includes a group of senior government officials and representatives of the private sector in the country, namely His Excellency Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, His Excellency Omar Suwayna Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and His Excellency Muhammad Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, CEO of the Alliance for Global Sustainability, and Her Excellency Laila Abdul Latif, Director General of the Emirates Nature Society, Maryam Al Mansouri, General Manager of Rebound Plastic Exchange, and Sarah Jackson, Director of the Sustainable Packaging Association.

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