H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, Chairman of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, said economic diversification lies at the heart of UAE's policies aimed at ensuring availability of new and clean energy resources, providing sustainable urban planning and achieving food security while addressing the unique challenges associated with climate change.
Sheikh Hamdan's statement came to mark the UAE's 24th National Environment Day, observed on February 4th every year and running this year under the theme "Green Recovery".
Sheikh Hamdan attributed the impressive ecological profile of the UAE to the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, coupled with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
"The UAE has always been endeavoring to strike a balance between economic development and ecological improvement based on a set of efficient policies to ensure economic diversification and smooth transition from an oil-reliant economy to a knowledge-based, innovation-driven circular one," he added.
Sheikh Hamdan underlined the UAE's determination to preserve the nation's ecological heritage by continuing to protect its natural resources and passing it on to generations to come.
"Economic recovery from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic now lies in the heart of the policies being adopted by all countries of the world. Now all decision makers across the globe are seriously taking sustainability factors into consideration while charting any recovery policies in order to ensure their plans to weather the crisis will be permanent solutions rather than temporary ones," he continued.