UAE: Remote work good for environment, says Abu Dhabi entity – News

Work-from-home policies help reduce air pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from traffic and electricity consumption, says a report

Teleworking or working from home reduces greenhouse gas emissions and improves air quality, the Abu Dhabi-based environmental watchdog said.

“We support the development of a teleworking policy for public sector employees in the emirate of Abu Dhabi,” the Environment Authority of Abu Dhabi (EAD) stated in its 2022 annual report.

EAD is the largest environmental regulator in the Middle East, working to protect and improve air quality, groundwater and the biodiversity of Abu Dhabi’s desert and marine ecosystems.

The trend towards flexible and remote working has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. EAD found that work-from-home policies delivered environmental sustainability benefits and reduced carbon emissions.

“Our assessment of the lockdown shows that the precautionary measures taken to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic have also reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas (greenhouse gas emissions) emissions, largely due to transport and electricity Less consumption.”

In the past, several studies published by global organizations and entities such as OECD, Nature, LinkedIn, Pew Research Center, Harvard Business Review, etc. have highlighted the benefits of remote work for employee productivity and the environment.

The EAD report revealed a proposal to its management to launch a pilot project this year. “The telework policy looks at increasing the number of public sector employees working remotely to improve air quality and mitigate climate change. The policy benchmarks international and local teleworking practices and proposes high, medium and low emissions scenarios. It is recommended that we The Executive Management Committee to pilot in the EAD in 2023.”

The report also highlights EAD’s key achievements, especially the implementation of the single-use plastic policy. Since the ban on single-use plastic bags on June 1, 2022, EAD has recorded a 90% reduction in the number of single-use plastic shopping bags, resulting in a reduction of 500,000 plastic bags per day. In addition, more than 30 million plastic bottles were recycled last year, compared to 7.25 million in 2021, and more than 850,000 plastic bottles are recycled every week.

Notably, while monitoring the MPA, EAD removed hazardous debris and obstructions. 58 sea areas were cleaned, 87,000 meters of clean objects were cleaned, with a net weight of 38,560 kilograms.

In a foreword to the report, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler’s representative in the Al Dhafra region and chairman of the EAD board, said EAD’s role in 2022 leadership and has successfully strengthened Abu Dhabi’s national and global standing and its active role in protecting the environment and protecting species.

“This has also been a defining year for climate-positive action, during which EAD intensified its efforts to support the vision and aspirations of the UAE government and reduce the impact of climate change thanks to its pioneering leadership in Abu Dhabi. contribute to achieving the goal of strategic climate neutrality by 2050.”

Other important milestones include the launch of the Abu Dhabi Mangroves Initiative in February 2022 and the Abu Dhabi Environmental Centennial in 2071.

EAD Vice-Chairman Mohamed Ahmed Al Bowardi said: “2022 has several achievements that contribute to the realization of EAD’s vision as it is full of exemplary projects that set the stage for greater success.”

Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director and Board Member of EAD, said: “We have made great strides in several directions in our fight against climate change – from planting mangroves with drones to recognizing industrial facilities that actively reduce emissions, thereby reducing pollution We also look forward to strengthening our leadership at COP28, hosted by the UAE in 2023.”

Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, EAD Secretary General, added: “In line with the vision of the UAE government, we are working towards a total nationwide ban on all single-use plastic bags by 2024.”