Switching to a circular economy is crucial to reduce emissions and use available resources best to minimize further environmental harm. To take stock of the country’s progress on circular economy initiatives, the second meeting of the UAE Circular Economy Council for 2023 was held on Monday in the presence of Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA).

Chaired by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, the meeting addressed several topics to accelerate the implementation of the circular economy policy in the UAE in four main sectors: manufacturing, food, infrastructure, and transport. 

Almheiri affirmed that the UAE believes the three principles of recycling represent eliminating waste, reducing material and resource consumption, and reducing harmful emissions to have a circular economy.

Almheiri said there’s a need to solve plastic pollution, a major component of the circular economy. “In the UAE, we work on this approach by finding and implementing recycling solutions, waste management, and other efforts, notably creating policies to prevent food loss and waste and managing single-use products.”

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, Chairman of the Policy Committee of the UAE Circular Economy Council, said the policy committee of the UAE Circular Economy Council had made significant progress in developing and implementing 22 circular economy policies. “These sectors drive sustainable growth within the country’s vision for the next fifty years,” he said. 

The meeting underscored the importance of partnership between the public and private sectors in the country to support sustainable development for the state.