UAE Takes Major Climate Action, Plans To Ban Single Use Plastic Items

The UAE proved again its focus & the commitment towards climate action. The country has aimed to ban single use plastic items to protect the environment.

The UAE will outlaw single-use plastic shopping bags entirbanely across the country starting in 2019, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

As of January 1, 2024, the UAE will restrict the use of plastic bags and impose government regulations on the creation, distribution, and consumption of single-use goods, including biodegradable plastic bags.

Additionally, starting on this date, no single-use plastic of any kind shall be used.

Aims To Protect The Environment From Plastic Pollution

The UAE will also implement a complete ban on the import, manufacture, and commerce of single-use plastic goods beginning January 1, 2026.

These items include foam boxes (styrofoam), plates, food containers, and plastic cups, caps, cutlery, forks, knives, and spoons.

Also Read: No Exemption To Tetra Pack Straws From Plastic Ban To Hurt Juice Companies

The Ministerial Resolution No. 380 of 2022, which governs the use of single-use products in the nation’s marketplaces, includes this provision.

The decision is intended to safeguard the environment from contamination brought on by the usage of such products.

UAE’s Measures Will Limit & Regulate Plastic Use At The Federal Level

The use of plastic bags has been outlawed at the local level by a wide range of local governments. 

The Environment Agency Of Abu Dhabi earlier banned the use of single-use plastic bags in the emirate in June of last year.

Dubai’s Executive Council decided to prohibit single-use bags and charge a fee for their use starting on July 1, 2022, in all of the city’s retail establishments.

The Executive Council made a decision to ban single-use plastic bags and other certain plastic products in the Emirate starting on January 1, 2024, also in Sharjah. 

The decision to forbid the use of single-use plastic bags in the emirate will go into effect on January 1, 2023, according to a separate announcement made by Umm Al Quwain’s Executive Council.

The Climate Goal Of Reaching Carbon Neutrality By 2050

The UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic effort aims to make the UAE the first country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to accomplish net-zero emissions by 2050.

The programme is in line with the UAE’s plan to accelerate national economic development as the country celebrates its golden jubilee and embarks on a new 50-year cycle of growth, known as the Principles of the 50. 

The significant economic potential that the path to net zero presents directly supports the goal of making the Emirates’ economy the most dynamic in the world.

The Paris Agreement, which requires nations to develop long-term plans to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5 C relative to pre-industrial levels, is in line with the UAE’s strategic programme Net Zero 2050.

UAE’s Various Initiatives And Efforts Towards Climate Goal

The UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative will be carried out under the direction and coordination of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), which will also ensure cooperation at the national level to achieve this goal.

Also Read: Everything About Single-Use Plastic Ban In India During 2022

One of the primary cornerstones of the UAE’s approach to combating climate change and lowering GHG emissions is the deployment and utilization of clean energy technologies. 

More than 15 years ago, the nation started funding renewable energy initiatives, and it has already made over 40 billion USD in the industry. 

The production capacity of clean energy, such as solar and nuclear, is expected to increase to 14 GW by 2030 from approximately 100 MW in 2015 and 2.4 GW in 2020, according to current trends.

The UAE has made investments in renewable energy projects worth about 16.8 billion USD in 70 countries, with an emphasis on developing nations. 

The country promotes green infrastructure including clean energy initiatives on a global scale. Additionally, it has given renewable energy projects more than 400 million USD in help and lenient loans.