The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has concluded today a two-day workshop on performance measurement for greening the economy, organized in collaboration with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).
Held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Dubai International Academic City, the workshop convened 30 policymakers representing federal and local authorities from the UAE, Jordan, and Egypt to discuss ways of measuring the progress of nations towards achieving a green economy. In line with the UAE Green Agenda 2015-2030, the country has set 41 green key performance indicators (Green KPIs) that cover the economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainable development, and assess its performance annually in the UAE State of Green Economy Report.
GGGI is currently developing the Green Growth Performance Measurement (GGPM) that consists of the Green Growth index (GGI) for measuring green growth of countries around the world and a simulation tool that allows users to explore the impact of specific policies in this field. The workshop is part of regional sessions aimed at introducing GGPM, soliciting expert feedback, and testing its universal applicability that are also taking place in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
In her opening remarks, Engineer Aisha Al Abdooli, Director of Green Development and Environmental Affairs at MOCCAE, said: “Approved by the Cabinet in 2017, the UAE Green Agenda 2015-2030 has made the transition to a green economy the country’s key priority. Measuring environmental performance is a critical component in achieving the ambitions outlined in the UAE Vision 2021. We are confident this workshop will contribute to our journey of sustainability through enabling us to share experiences and lessons learnt with our regional partners.”
The Green Growth Index includes performance metrics in five dimensions – resource efficiency, natural capital protection, resilience to risks, economic opportunities, and social inclusion – across six areas: energy, industry, transport, cities, agriculture, and forests.
Orestes Anastasia, Head of Knowledge Sharing and Deputy Head of the Office of Thought Leadership at GGGI, said: “An appropriate set of indicators can help stimulate the policy action and investment required for a country’s green transformation. Ultimately, GGPM allows countries to compare their performance with their peers and track their progress over time.”