UAE Ministry of Environment and Water holds Al Basama Al Beeiya's third steering committee meeting

At the meeting, the Minister reviewed the progress of the Al Basama Al Beeiya and thanked the members of the committee for their cooperation and support in helping the Initiative achieve its data gathering objectives for the first phase of the project.

Members of the Initiative's research team presented the components involved in calculating the carbon Footprint - which comprises 76% of the overall Ecological Footprint of the UAE - to the Steering Committee.

The research team clarified; 'The carbon Footprint, contrary to common perception, is not just a calculation of the nation's consumption of oil and gas, nor is it an indicator of pollution levels. Rather, the carbon Footprint equates the area of forest required to absorb the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by different sectors and the CO2 which is embodied in the trade of everyday products that we use.'

To calculate the carbon footprint, the research team further explained more than 1200 data points are required in the following areas:
1)CO2 emissions from all sectors including transport, construction, oil & gas production, manufacturing and heavy industries
2)Trade quantities (imports & exports) of over 600 products such as food, metals, clothing, paper, oil, gas and machinery.
3)Embodied Energy Coefficients. The research team explained that all products have an effect on the environment and consume energy in their making. The energy required to make a product, be it a barrel of oil or building material, is called 'embodied energy'.

'Active contribution from multiple stakeholders is crucial in ensuring the data sought by the Al Basama Al Beeiya is complete in all respects,' said H.E. 'It is only with the cooperation of all the environmental authorities in the country as well as the active support of the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Interior, the Federal Customs Authority and the Supreme Petroleum Council represented on the Steering Committee can we progress in the better understanding of our nation's Ecological Footprint and the processes of data collection. I thank every member and their respective organization for contributing to this federal project that I have no doubt will present many learning opportunities beyond that of the Footprint.'

The Al Basama Al Beeiya was launched on October 18 2007 as a historic national effort to measure and understand the country's Ecological Footprint and develop important guidelines for a more resource-conscious and resource-efficient government and society.

The four core Al Basama Al Beeiya partners are: UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW), the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI), the Emirates Wildlife Society - World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF) and the Global Footprint Network (GFN).