The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi’s latest Environmental Awareness and Behaviour Survey shows that the capital’s residents are more aware about environmental issues and are more active in combating them. They quizzed 2,000 residents of all ages and nationalities and 68 per cent said that they were regularly environ­mentally friendly in their daily lives. Young people aged 15-20 exhibited the highest levels of awareness of green issues, citing waste management as a top concern.

Read More

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has started replacing traffic lights in Dubai with halogen bulbs using LED power-saving technology. It comes as part of the RTA’s safety and environmental push to enhance the traffic safety level and keep abreast of the green economy drive, an official said. The project will be carried out in phases and phase one is now under way. The bulbs will also save the RTA around Dh900,000 a year in expenditure, said Maitha Bin Udai, CEO of the RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency.

Read More

The Abu Dhabi Police (ADP) has put together seven green application approaches for dealing with suppliers with a view to encourage them to contribute to the efforts of reducing emissions, power and water consumption and other non-renewable natural resources.

Read More

‘His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the launch of and international prize of $1 million for finding sustainable solutions to water shortage all over the world through the use of solar energy to desalinate and purify water. Shaikh Mohammed announced a personal donation on behalf of all UAE citizens to add to the number of beneficiaries of UAE Water Aid campaign to hit 7 million persons around the world. The UAE Water Aid campaign has collected more than Dh180 million in 18 days’.

Read More

The Municipality and Planning Department in Ajman sets a series of strategic indicators which aim to serve the environment and preserve it in Ajman and the entire Emirates depending on the strategy of the United Arab Emirates that includes air quality, water management and waste management.

Read More

‘The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy has reviewed the implementation phases of Demand Side Management strategy during its 30th board meeting under the chairmanship of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. The meeting discussed various topics including developments relating to the work of the Dubai Nuclear Energy Committee, and implementation phases of the Demand Side Management strategy.’

Read More

HRH Prince Hassan has announced a new initiative to help build peace and security in the Arab world through regional cooperation on water conservation and management. The forum is a direct result of collaboration with the Strategic Foresight Group, an international think tank headquartered in Mumbai.

Read More

The European Union and the Agriculture Ministry announced a 1.959 million euro ($2.6 million) EU grant in support of reforestation efforts in Lebanon, especially in those areas most affected by desertification and deforestation. The grant is a part of the EU-funded Agriculture and Rural Development Programme and falls in line with the goals of the “40 million trees program” supported by the ministry.

Read More

Climate changes in the area are expected to cause extreme phenomena like massive flooding and droughts, as well as soil erosion and disappearance of plant life. Some participants sought to send the message that there has been a decrease in ecological activity due to climate change and human activity, and that intervention is necessary to restore the situation. Many nature preservation groups, however, are weary of human intervention in ecological processes, and are demanding that the situation be reexamined.

Read More

Ahmad Daoud hired a firm of young Palestinian architects to build this house. Like Jericho’s original homes, it is built of dirt. This one has a contemporary twist, though: It’s constructed with earth compacted in bags that are then stacked and plastered over.

Read More

Australia’s lower house of parliament voted to scrap the country’s controversial carbon tax, setting up a final showdown in the Senate to decide the scheme’s fate. Abolition of the carbon tax was a centerpiece policy of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s 2013 election, but he has struggled to repeal the tax as his government does not control the Senate.

Read More

Britain could miss its medium-term goals to cut carbon dioxide emissions even after extensive reforms to the UK electricity market, a government advisory body said on Tuesday. The country has set binding targets for greenhouse gases over four five-year periods to 2027, known as carbon budgets, which aim to put it on track towards cutting emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by the middle of the century.

Read More

Tens of thousands of houses are still being built on floodplains, increasing reliance on flood defences which are not being properly maintained due to Government budget cuts, Committee on Climate Change warns.

Read More

The 127 bolivars (about $20) levy, which only affects passengers on departing flights, was imposed in order to pay for a new air conditioning unit installed at the airport earlier this year, CNN reports. According to the BBC, a Ministry of Water and Air Transport press release states that the air conditioning system uses technology which eliminates bacterial growth and protects the health of travelers by sanitizing the building.

Read More

Donations of U.N.-backed carbon credits to help reduce the carbon footprint of the World Cup in Brazil have surpassed the half million mark, the local government said. Brazilian companies or local branches of multinationals so far donated 545,500 certified emissions reductions (CERs) in response to a campaign that, in exchange, offered publicity in the tournament’s official documents.

Read More