Dubai Municipality launches first phase of environmental awareness campaign targeting 500 industrial and service enterprises

Dubai Municipality has launched the first phase of its environmental awareness campaign for industrial and service enterprises to highlight significant environmental requirements and technical guidelines to be followed to minimize the negative impact on the ecosystem and protect various industries. The campaign targets to reach 500 enterprises and projects across Dubai by the end of 2023 instill environmental awareness among companies and ensure their adherence to the environmental laws and legislation.

Aisha Al Muhairi, Acting Director of the Department of Environmental Sustainability at Dubai Municipality, underscored the remarkable potential of the Municipality’s awareness campaign in encouraging compliance of industrial and service enterprises with the environmental laws and legislations of Dubai. In addition, she emphasized that the move reflects the Municipality’s efforts to develop a sustainable environmental system that highlights the principle of proactive environmental protection in the emirate and sustainability of its natural resources.

 Al Muhairi, also stated that the campaign comes in line with the UAE’s environmental frameworks, and its goal of improving the quality of life and ensuring a sustainable environment that drives economic growth. Furthermore, the campaign plays a significant role in supporting the objectives of the National Air Quality Agenda 2031 which seeks to mitigate pollution, ensure air quality improvement, and contribute to a safe and healthy environment.

Al Muhairi said: “In line with the campaign, Dubai Municipality will distribute environmental awareness leaflets to several industrial and service businesses operating in Dubai. These leaflets will include environmental guidelines to minimize adverse environmental effects caused by various operations, as well as technical guidance for issuing necessary permits.”

Inspection and monitoring tours

As part of its efforts to ensure environmental control aimed at optimal management of environmental sustainability, Dubai Municipality conducted over 7,000 inspections and surveillance tours this year. Over 5,000 enterprises and projects operating in various critical sectors within the emirate were targeted, to check their compliance to environmental standards and procedures and to control establishments that violate environmental legislation in Dubai.

 Dubai Municipality also leverages innovative technologies to ensure the emirate’s environmental and natural sustainability, such as its mobile vehicle to monitor the air environment, which received ISO 17025 in 2022 for general requirements for the efficiency of inspection and calibration laboratories. As a result, it is now the first mobile laboratory in the UAE to be certified in the field of air environment monitoring.

The mobile vehicle is the first reference station in terms of design and quality of equipment and techniques used for monitoring air pollutants at the regional level, designed with global environmentally friendly features and resistant to different climatic conditions, ranging from high temperatures and humidity. Additionally, the vehicle comprises of nearly 20 advanced monitoring techniques, which track approximately 100 air contaminant components and compounds, toxic pollutants, volatile organic compounds, ozone catalysts, concentration rate of heavy metals, odorous gases, as well as radioactive pollution levels, noise, and weather data.

 The mobile vehicle has garnered a diverse range of accolades, securing the top spot in the ‘Global Energy’ award in the National Sustainability Project category in 2020. Additionally, it received the Arab Ideas Award during its 13th edition in 2018, along with a recognition certificate from the American Ideas Award in the same year.