The seminar, held on Thursday, was attended by His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Chairman of SCC; Ahmed Saeed Al Jarwan, Secretary-General of the Council; members of the Council; in addition to a number of members of the Federal National Council. (FNC)
The seminar was held at the headquarters of SCC and saw the presence of experts and specialists in the field of sustainable development and environmental protection, and a large number of invitees.
The seminar came within the framework of SCC keenness to discuss pressing environmental issues and review possible strategies to take advantage of the opportunities available in the field of climate change, in a way that contributes to achieving the goals of sustainable development and preserving the environment.
The seminar was moderated by Dr. Engineer Aisha Al Shehhi, an engineering expert at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. The seminar then addressed several main topics, most notably “Achieving Sustainable Development Goals,” presented by Dr. Rashid Muhammad Karkin, expert in sustainable development and environmental protection; and “How to maintain the balance between human use of resources and environmental protection” by Engineer Shaima Al Ali, from the Studies and Research and Development Department at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
The seminar began with a welcome speech from His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, in which he stressed the importance of the Council’s societal role by raising issues that address environmental challenges and enhance sustainability, noting that climate change represents an opportunity to adopt policies and procedures that contribute to achieving sustainable development.
Al Nuaimi also highlighted the need to strengthen joint efforts to confront the challenges of climate change, and His Excellency stressed that climate change is not just an environmental challenge, but rather a real opportunity to develop innovative policies that contribute to achieving sustainable development.
Al Nuaimi also called for concerted efforts between governmental and private sectors, noting the importance of awareness and education on environmental and climate issues to achieve sustainable strategic goals.
His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi praised SCC role in organising such events that bring together experts and specialists to discuss the most important environmental issues, stressing the Council’s continued support for such vital initiatives.
In turn, Dr. Rashid Muhammad Karkain emphasised that the belief that “as a leader you cannot please everyone” does not apply in the context of leadership towards achieving the goals of sustainable development.
Dr. Karkain argued that the critical element that can help achieve the SDGs is “inclusivity” without excluding anyone, as the main focus of sustainable development is “people”.
Dr. Rashid Muhammad Karkain also stressed the need to integrate sustainable development goals and governance as key criteria in the selection, design, implementation and operation phase of projects, noting the importance of qualifying employees with leadership skills through training programmes to achieve integrated and sustainable development. Dr. Karkain also highlighted the importance of “scientific research” and its results in achieving sustainable development, as it plays a vital role in developing innovative solutions to environmental, economic and social challenges, and enhances the ability to make informed decisions based on evidence and research.
Dr. Rashid Muhammad Karkain explained that scientific research will contribute significantly to continuous innovation, expanding the culture of knowledge, and transferring knowledge in a systematic, sustainable and effective manner.
Engineer Shaima Al Ali, from the Department of Studies, Research and Development at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, also addressed the topic “How to maintain a balance between human use of resources and environmental protection”, and highlighted the challenges and opportunities available to achieve this balance in light of current climate changes.
Al Ali stressed the importance of adopting sustainable practices in all sectors to achieve environmental balance, and pointed to the vital role of innovation and technology in improving the efficiency of resource use and reducing environmental impact.
Al Ali also stressed the need for cooperation between government and private agencies and society to achieve sustainability goals, and drew attention to the importance of raising community awareness and promoting environmental culture to ensure the success of efforts made in this field.
The seminar saw great interaction from the attendees, as they provided interventions that enriched the discussion and added depth to the topics. The attendees raised several questions about how to implement sustainable development strategies at the local level, and the importance of involving the community in environmental efforts; the challenges faced by environmental projects in Sharjah and ways to overcome them were also discussed. Some participants expressed their need for more support and training to develop their sustainability skills. The attendees also presented proposals to adopt modern technologies and stimulate innovation to achieve environmental goals, stressing the importance of cooperation between various sectors to ensure the sustainability of environmental efforts and projects.
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