Sharjah Economic Development Department “SEDD” participated in the “Economic Dimensions of Climate Change” workshop organized by the Ministry of Economy in cooperation with the General Secretariat of Gulf Cooperation Council. Such thing falls within its concerns to exchange experiences and participate in exchanging of knowledge about best economic practices and experiences.

During the workshop, which was held with the participation of more than 20 researchers and officials in the economic field, the economic dimensions of climate change and the efforts made by the country to confront the repercussions of climate change and adapt to its potential effects on economic sectors were discussed. In addition, SEDD adopted an important set of policies that included the policy of economic diversification and focused on the green economy, the policy of diversifying energy sources by focusing on renewable and clean energy and enhancing energy efficiency, the policy of sustainable transportation, sustainable urban planning, and others.

Commenting on that, HE Hamad Ali Abdalla Al Mahmoud, SEDD Chairman, pointed out that Sharjah represents a leading model at the national, local and international levels in the field of circular economy and green development. HE carried on that the emirate adopted a set of programs and policies in the fields of energy, agriculture, investment, and sustainable transportation, and has designed creative and advanced environmental and urban policies to raise the quality of life in the emirate through green energy paths and the green city, reducing carbon emissions from industrial and commercial facilities, supporting green life and disseminating the principles of green technology and techniques. Furthermore, Al Mahmoud explained that the cooperation in the field of green development with the Ministry of Economy will continue, praising the Ministry’s efforts in supporting green development and encouraging sustainability, which makes the country a leader in green competitiveness and achieving the highest rates of environmental and development performance.

In this regard, Dr. Amr Saleh, the Economic Advisor at SEDD, presented a working paper entitled “The Economic Cost of Environmental Change and Environmental Compatibility Policies”. Through such paper, he presented the three stages of the environmental cost, the challenge of green markets, the green economy system, how the circular economy works, and then the size of the environmental cost in global GDP. Such thing clarified that the economic cost of air pollution in the world, for example, reaches more than $3 trillion, and in the Middle East it reaches more than $150 billion. Likely, Dr. Amr explained UAE’s leadership role in the field of the circular economy and the green development strategy as part of UAE 2021 Vision, as well as Government of Sharjah concerns to raise the environmental quality of life, which is part of controlling the cost of the environmental performance of factories and commercial establishments in the emirate.