EAD and twelve Abu Dhabi organizations go paperless on World Environment Day 2009

Under this theme, the United Nations (UN) is urging all countries to make serious efforts to combat Climate Change.

Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of EAD, said:

"EAD has always kept up to its global commitments and has shown on numerous occasions its concern and willingness to act on issues of global concern. This year as the call is out for uniting for Climate Change, EAD has come forth with a programme under the theme "Unite for Climate Change" where all of us could show the world that we, in Abu Dhabi and the UAE are up to the challenge."

"EAD now wants to move beyond by just merely stating the rhetoric through awareness talks and events to actually contributing to the day with concrete deliverable in terms of reduction in carbon emission," he added.

To mark the day, EAD will be organizing a "Paperless Day" in its offices on June 4, 2009. EAD chose to tackle paper because the Paper industry is one of the world's major polluting industries and it is estimated that around 900 million trees are cut down annually to make paper. EAD has invited 12 government organisations to hold a paperless day in their offices as well. The aim is to encourage reduced use and wastage of paper. The intention is not to completely eliminate the functional use of paper.

The twelve participating organisations are BP, Shell, Masdar, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Family Development Foundation, Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, ADGAS, GASCO, Standard Chartered Bank, ALDAR, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. Last year, EAD successfully implement a paperless day at ADGAS. ADGAS not only successfully observed the day but rolled out a series of changes to help reduce paper consumption in its facilities.

In a bid to highlight the World Environment Day theme among local youth, EAD will be organizing a discussion via videoconference on June 9 between UAE youth and youth from Canada, South Africa, and India. The youth will discuss "How Ready and willing are Youth to Unite for Climate Action".

EAD is also organizing a play entitled "Black & White" on Climate Change, performed by students of Our Own High English School on June 4, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at the Family Development Foundation (main branch). The play, which will be recorded by EAD on a CD with Arabic subtitles, will be distributed to all government and private schools in Abu Dhabi. An awareness quiz on Climate Change also is also being organised by EAD on June 6, 2009 at Khalidiya Mall. EAD will also organise on June 03, 2009 an internal Seminar on "A Paperless Office - A Dream or Reality?" to educate EAD's staff on paperless office.

10 Tips To Help You Go Paperless in Your Office:

1. Minimize and conserve paper by planning work carefully. Did you know that 1 ream of paper = 6% of a tree= 12 pounds of Co2 and 17 reams of paper = 1 tree?
2. Invest in printers that print on both sides.
3. Use scanners instead of copying machines.
4. Send electronic faxes instead of paper faxes.
5. Store information electronically instead of in filing cabinets.
6. Give friends, clients or vendors information on CDs or through e-mail attachments instead of in bound folders.
7. Photocopy copy double-sided.
8. Reduce the number of newspapers delivered to your home or workplace. Read the newspaper online.
9. Train your employees to use the photocopier and printer properly so that paper is not wasted.
10. Conduct a monthly paper audit to determine the kind and volume of paper that is being wasted and set a target to reduce the volume wasted the following month.