On the occasion of Earth Day, which is observed on 22 April every year, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has organised a digital campaign under the theme ‘This Earth Day, let’s unite to preserve our natural resources.’ DEWA has urged society members to contribute to environmental sustainability by making conservation a way of life. This will protect Planet Earth from the effects of climate change and conserve natural resources for generations to come.
“Earth Day is an important event to unify our efforts. Climate action requires joint and coordinated measures from all countries to fight climate change by increasing the share of renewable and sustainable energy. This achieves a balance between development and protecting natural resources. Earth Day’s theme of ‘Climate Action’ is particularly important, as we approach the deadline for countries to review their efforts and achievements in their national climate action plans to support the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
“Thanks to our visionary leadership, the UAE has undertaken important steps to support international efforts to reduce global warming, as part of its international responsibility to address climate change. The UAE was one of the first countries to develop and implement strategies and policies that promoted its position as a leading global hub for clean energy and green economy. At DEWA, we are supporting the UAE’s efforts by increasing the share of renewable and clean energy in Dubai’s energy mix. One of our prominent projects to achieve this goal is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which has a planned capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030. The solar park supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2050, and make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world. DEWA launches several programmes and initiatives every year to encourage the sensible use of electricity and water to protect the environment and natural resources, and ensure their sustainability for generations to come. The conservation programmes and initiatives launched by DEWA from 2009 to 2019 have achieved cumulative savings of 2.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity and 7.8 billion gallons of water. This is equivalent to saving AED 1.3 billion. These savings contributed to reducing 1.137 million tonnes of carbon emissions,” added Al Tayer.
DEWA has urged society members to observe Earth Day this year by staying at home and contributing to protecting the environment and natural resources by adopting simple daily actions. These include utilising sunlight during the day, turning off unnecessary lights, using LED light bulbs, unplugging appliances when not in use, adjusting the AC to 24 degrees Celsius or higher, using the washing machine on full load, watering plants in the early morning or after sunset, as well as encouraging home-owners to grow plants in their yards