We can help populations transition to greener economies

The world is contending with an unprecedented environmental challenge, necessitating policymakers and legislators to help populations transition to greener, more sustainable economies. Strikingly, a report by the World Meteorological Organization ascertained that the 50 years to 2019 witnessed more than 11,000 weather, climate and water-related disasters that led to over 2 million fatalities and economic losses worth $3.64 trillion. It is, thus, immensely important that we acclimatize the way we live and work in order to adapt to the new demands of climate change mitigation.
A new blueprint will have to be envisaged, one in which individuals are actively aware of their accountability toward our planet and the consequences of their daily choices in affecting its sustainability. To respond to these perilous risks, governments need to create comprehensive programs to help populations transition and adapt to more climate-friendly choices with high impacts.
To begin with, governments need to educate their populations on the multivariate climate threats disrupting their lives, including their livelihoods, health, homes, communities and the many natural resources they rely upon on a daily basis. This should be achieved as early as possible with the addition of climate-related subjects within school curricula and moving on to providing access to online portals that offer detailed guidance in every aspect of our lives.
In many countries, efforts to conserve and efficiently use natural resources are well underway. Improvements vitally hinge on guiding consumers to make choices and adjustments that are certain to utilize resources efficiently. To illustrate, the US government has numerous online portals to educate people about using water and energy efficiently in their daily lives and activities, such as switching to efficient water heating solutions, effective home cooling systems, landscape irrigation systems, and using energy-efficient LED lights that use up to 90 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. Consumers can even access comprehensive guidance on using energy-efficient appliances and electronics, such as refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, ovens, washing machines and home office equipment, including computers.
Optimizing home energy efficiency also entails leveraging breakthrough technologies and renewable energy systems to reduce energy use and reap sizable savings. Many technologies are already proving to be successful in this regard, such as solar water heating, solar electricity and advanced power strips, which are designed to reduce the amount of energy used by common consumer electronics. Consumers can utilize the Home Energy Score, which is a national rating system designed by the US Department of Energy to appraise their home’s energy efficiencies and help them understand potential areas of improvement.
Food waste is a burgeoning issue for Middle Eastern governments, especially as the region has been grappling with intense heat waves, limited precipitation and frequent droughts — all of which contribute to worrying food insecurity levels and a high dependency on food imports to meet local nutrition needs. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about a third of all food lost and wasted in the Middle East and North Africa region happens at the retail and consumer levels.
To avert greater future losses, grassroots initiatives should be deployed to educate consumers about food sustainability. Centrally, it is important that consumers are made aware of the environmental impacts of food production and consumption, while adopting healthier diets, via public awareness campaigns and school programs. At the same time, governments should strive to educate consumers about efficient ways to extend the longevity of food and reduce food waste. In the same vein, food banks can serve as key partners in redistributing surplus food during social gatherings and religious or cultural festivals through their partnerships with charities.
Sustainable transportation systems are garnering attention as an integral component of climate change resilience, as more cities switch to alternative fuel technologies, make way for larger expanses of pedestrian-friendly zones, promote cycling, and encourage the use of public transport. Last year, for example, the government of Dubai set out ambitions to make the emirate emission-free by the year 2050 through a number of initiatives, such as the adoption of clean-energy vehicles, designing bike-friendly routes throughout the city, and adding electric and hydrogen vehicles to its fleet of public buses, school transport and taxis.

Governments need to educate their populations on the multivariate climate threats disrupting their lives.

Sara Al-Mulla

The concept of sustainable consumption is also gaining momentum, with governments and private sector enterprises increasingly adopting strategies to reduce their carbon footprint as part of the effort. Indeed, there are many considerations that consumers can ponder before they make a purchase in order to veer toward a more climate-friendly consumption pattern, such as opting for durable products that do not need to be replaced often, reducing overall consumption and waste, sourcing products locally, buying foods from local farms, committing to recycling, and avoiding single-use plastics.
Building on significant work aimed at climate policy, the UAE government has recently announced a nationwide ban on single-use plastic to be enacted in 2024, after which a further ban will prohibit the import of plastic cutlery, cups and plates in 2026.
By adopting a span of effective actions within various pockets of sectors and activities, populations can play a significant role in crafting a more sustainable future.

• Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children’s literature. She can be contacted at www.amorelicious.com.