Seventy five per cent of UAE residents think the human race will create the technology needed to solve the climate crisis. That’s according to a survey conducted by communications firm duke+mir in advance of COP28, to be held in Dubai from November 30th to December 12th.
However, the research also revealed 52 per cent of UAE residents felt climate change was inevitable.
Duke+mir polled more than 1,000 people through YouGov as part of a research paper entitled ‘Environment Action in the UAE’. The company has pledged to plant one tree for each download of its report.
Mir Murtaza Khurshid, co-founder of the firm, said, ‘People in the UAE are convinced that humanity will find a way to overcome the impacts of climate change. Now is the time for individuals to do their part. In the Year of Sustainability, COP28 is a generational opportunity to raise greater awareness of climate change and support the UAE to achieve its Net Zero 2050 vision.’
Fatma Abdulla Ibrahim Al Khayat, Urban Planning Specialist at Abu Dhabi Executive Office, said that the design of cities can help encourage individuals to take positive action.
The survey found that half of UAE residents recycle regularly, compared to the UK where nine out of 10 people frequently recycle waste
She explained: ‘The biggest challenge that cities face at a global scale is climate change. This highlights the significance of implementing measures that reduce the impact on the environment when planning and building urban areas, encompassing even small-scale interventions such as implementing effective urban recycling practices to incorporating urban greenery in streetscapes and buildings.’
The survey found that half of UAE residents recycle regularly, compared to the UK where nine out of 10 people frequently recycle waste
However the UAE is already in the top 50 countries in the world for waste recycling with around a quarter of waste already recycled according to research by Yale and Columbia University for the Environmental Performance Index.
In 2018, the UAE set out a goal to recycle 75 per cent of waste, supported by a Circular Economy Policy, aiming to move towards reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.
The country has also created a framework for Single Use Plastic Policy and implemented a ban on non-biodegradable plastic products.
Khurshid added: ‘UAE leaders have set clear targets to create a sustainable circular economy in the coming years. Now residents have an opportunity to follow this example and take more positive action towards the environment in their daily lives.’
