Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, hosted an interactive discussion session with UAE University students attending the Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations, being held on 7 & 8 March 2017 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Held on the sidelines of majlis, the event is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

During this highly interactive session, titled "Climate Change and Environment: An Opportunity For Prosperity", Dr. Al Zeyoudi focussed on climate change and the effects it will have on "the environment we live in, our future and the way we live." He also highlighted the pivotal role that the UAE national youth play in supporting the country’s efforts in combatting climate change and advancing sustainability and the protection of natural resources.

He stressed the ministry believes that combatting climate change and advancing sustainable solutions "is the responsibility of society as a whole - in particular the youth who can play an important role in transforming environmental challenges into opportunities."

"The youth are the most effective segment of society when it comes to raising awareness and communicating with the rest of society. Through such interactive meetings, we aim to highlight the important role of youth in achieving a sustainable future and combatting climate change. This comes as part of the country’s efforts to prepare for a post-oil economy. We are also aiming to encourage the youth to pledge their support in spreading awareness for these issues among their families, schools or university colleagues and via social media," Al Zeyoudi added.

He told the audience that sustainability and addressing climate change are not new topics to the UAE. "Our forefathers have long embraced sustainability and were able to live in harsh climate conditions through the optimal and sustainable use of the scarce available resources while preserving them for future generations," he said.

Al Zeyoudi recalled that the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan gave great importance to environmental and sustainability issues. He also spoke to the attendees about the transformation that the country has witnessed, led by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in the areas of economic and energy diversification.

He also highlighted the initiatives launched by Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, notably the UAE’s Green Development Strategy, which adopts green economy as a strategic option to direct the national economy towards a green, sustainable and low carbon future.

The UAE minister also spoke about the initiatives and strategic solutions, such as green architecture, sustainable transportation and efficient resource consumption, adopted by the UAE to achieve sustainability and to combat climate change.

Dr. Al Zeyoudi emphasised that His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has historical fingerprints and effective efforts in the areas of environment preservation and minimising the impact of climate change. Some of his initiatives included: The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Carbon Capturing & Storage, launching renewable energy projects locally and globally, Mohammed bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, in addition to many other initiatives that directly contribute to the preservation of environment for future generations.

Discussing the main effects of climate change as a result of human activities, Dr. Al Zeyoudi indicated that climate change will affect clearly on all inhabitants of the earth and will lead to pushing communities to change their lifestyles. "Climate change affects the fundamentals of our daily lives, such as the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the work we do and the house we live in", he explained.

"Innovation and creativity are the fundamental pillars of sustainable and nontraditional solutions adopted by the UAE in its journey towards sustainability and decreasing the effects of climate change and adapting to it," said Dr. Al Zeyoudi.

He stressed the important role that the UAE national youth could play in terms of putting forward ideas and innovative solutions for these issues in order to contribute to achieving the goals of the UAE Vision 2021.

Dr. Al Zeyoudi explained that educating the Emirati youth and preparing them to lead the country’s sustainable future "is the first goal in the national environmental awareness strategy." The UAE would continue to encourage the youth to innovate and be part of global environmental efforts, he added.

At the end of the session, the minister asked the attendees to pledge to carry the responsibility, on both local and global levels, to achieve sustainability and to combat climate change. He underlined that the field of climate change & environment provides a wide spectrum of opportunities to work, invest & prosper. "All UAE national youth today are entrepreneurs, officials and leaders in the making", Dr. Al Zeyoudi concluded.