Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, DoE, has launched the 'Saving Energy and Water at Home' initiative. This latest endeavour is one of three sustainable initiatives launched by the department in collaboration with the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs (ZHO), Abu Dhabi Distribution Company, and Al Ain Distribution Company. The DoE is the official partner of the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.
As part of the initiative, Emirati athletes competing in the Special Olympics will serve as 'Energy Ambassadors' to the community. Forty-five families of Emirati athletes will compete to make their respective homes more energy- and water-efficient, adhering to sustainable behaviour and energy conservation practices throughout the duration of the Games. The daily consumption of each household participating in the initiative will be measured, with the results being daily updated through a leader-board on the microsite specially launched by the DoE for its campaign.
The DoE distributed a toolkit to promote efficient consumption amongst the families of the athletes at the ZHO premises and at their homes. The kit included equipment to rationalise consumption, instructions and tips for saving energy and water. The objective is to highlight the impact that individuals can easily make at home with sustainable daily habits. The top three winners will be revealed and awarded at the conclusion of the Games.
"This initiative aims to raise awareness on the importance of conserving energy and water and promote it as a daily habit across Abu Dhabi. The Special Olympics World Games present an ideal platform to deliver our message, promote high quality-of-life standards, and optimise consumption of traditional and renewable energy sources," said Mohammad bin Jarsh Al Falasi, DoE Under-Secretary.
He went on to say that the energy-saving initiative enhances the UAE's sustainable development and is aligned with the wise vision of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, as well as the objectives of Abu Dhabi Plan 2030.
"We are confident that the community will be an active partner in helping us achieve our goals, and the UAE national team are the best ambassadors to convey our message to all community members," Al Falasi added.
Ramez Hamdan, Director of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency at DoE, explained that the initiative includes field visits to the homes of participating Emirati athletes, offering detailed instructions on the topic of energy and water conservation. "We look forward to establishing a culture of energy conservation, promote sustainable daily habits that help reduce carbon emissions, and increase awareness on the importance of increasing reliance on renewables," he added.
DoE is launching three sustainability initiatives as part of its ‘Powering the Special Olympics’ campaign, namely, ‘Saving Energy and Water at Home’; ‘Clean Energy on The Move’, to encourage the public to use electric cars, and ‘Sustainable Energy at the Venues’, which seeks to promote efficient energy use, and install solar photovoltaics at the venues, to shed light on the importance of switching to clean energy.