Ministry of Petroleum appoints Committee to educate motorists

The information committee, which was set up in July of this year, consists of senior representatives from the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Interior, Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology, Emirates News Agency (W.A.M.), ADNOC, ADNOC Distribution, EMARAT, EPPCO, ENOC and Takreer. The Committee is chaired by Dr. Saad Al Numairy, Environmental Advisor to the Federal Environmental Agency.

The committee are currently developing a public awareness campaign that will educate and inform an estimated 750,000 automobile users in the UAE of the environmental benefits and guidelines on the use of unleaded gasoline (ULG).

The changeover is acknowledged as a landmark event in the history of the country. It clearly demonstrates the Federal Government's support for a cleaner environment and compliance with the plans of the Gulf Cooperation Council on the phase out of leaded gasoline. The UAE has introduced many environmental activities and the forthcoming move to unleaded gasoline has been hailed by many as one to the single biggest achievements to date. The move to ULG is predicted to bring far reaching benefits, not only to the existing residents of the UAE, but also for generations to come.

Several key bodies have pledged their support to the campaign. The UAE will join a growing number of environmentally friendly countries taking the initiative to discontinue the production of leaded gasoline, a move that is seen as a positive step by leading members of UAE society.

According to statistics by the environmental department of the World Bank: "Countries can recover five to ten times the cost of converting to unleaded gas in health and economic savings. The United States, for example, saved more than $10 for every $1 it invested in the conversion due to reduced health costs, savings on engine maintenance, and improved fuel efficiency. According to these studies, switching from leaded to unleaded gasoline can increase engine life by as much as 150 percent."

For many years, lead compounds have been added in gasoline to improve engine performance. However, it has been found that vehicle exhaust emissions containing lead and other pollutants pose a threat to human health and have long-term harmful effects on the environment. Removing lead from gasoline has been proven to significantly increase the overall well being of society.
ULG is a cleaner burning fuel, which maintains the performance of vehicle engines, whilst also offering environmental benefits. The transition from leaded to unleaded gasoline is a major step towards minimising lead emissions in the atmosphere and providing UAE residents with a pollution-free environment.