Press Release

UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment holds MENA Regional Consultation Workshop on the Green Growth Index and Simulation Tool

The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) hosted a two-day regional consultation workshop on September 16th and 17th on green growth performance measurement at its headquarters in Dubai.

Co-organized with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the workshop aimed at highlighting ongoing efforts to develop a green economy indicator in the UAE to track progress under the Green Agenda 2015-2030. It was also an opportunity to discuss the Green Growth Index and Simulation Tool that is being developed as part of GGGI’s Green Growth Performance Measurement (GGPM) Project to measure the green growth performance of countries around the world.

The workshop was attended by stakeholders representing federal and local authorities from the UAE as well as the Middle East and North Africa region to share knowledge, solicit expert feedback and emphasize the inclusiveness and universal applicability of the concept of green growth performance measurement.

Speaking about the workshop’s goals, Eng. Aisha Al Abdooli, Director of Green Development and Environmental Affairs at the Ministry, said, “approved by the Cabinet in 2017, the UAE Green Agenda 2015-2030 has made the transition to a green economy the country’s key priority. Measuring environmental performance is a critical component in achieving the ambitions outlined in the UAE Vision 2021. We are confident this workshop will contribute to our journey of sustainability through enabling us to share experiences and lessons learnt with our regional partners.”

The Index includes performance metrics in five green growth dimensions—resource efficiency, natural capital  protection, resilience to risks, economic opportunities, and social inclusion—and across six thematic areas—energy, industry, transport, cities, agriculture, and forests. The Simulation Tool allows users to enhance their knowledge on how countries’ green growth performance can be influenced by different policy options within these dimensions and thematic areas.

 

Mr. Orestes Anastasia, representing GGGI’s Office of Thought Leadership, also remarked that “an appropriate set of indicators can help stimulate the policy action and investment required for a country’s green transformation. Ultimately, GGPM allows countries to compare their performance with their peers and track their progress over time e.”

The workshop is part of a series of regional consultations GGGI is organizing this year which include, in addition to the MENA region, the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.