- Comprehensive recycling program to complement annual investments of over USD 415 million in UAE's paper industry
Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development (MBRCLD) has today launched the "Green Paper" project as the pioneering project of the newly formed "Green Team," a group of MBRCLD program participants established to pursue pro-environment activities in Dubai. The "Green Paper" project aims to mobilise Dubai's publishing sector to adopt a comprehensive paper recycling program, while delivering value-added benefits to all project participants, including increased subscription rates for newspaper publishers, expanded media mileage for sponsoring business organisations, more business opportunities for waste management companies and discount coupons and other merchandise offerings for newspaper subscribers.
H.E. Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water; Salah Abdel Rahman Al Amiri, Assistant Director General, General Support Services Sector, Dubai Municipality; Dhaen Shaheen, Editor-in-Chief of Al Bayan; and Adel Al Shared, Executive Chairman of MBRCLD attended the launch event at The Monarch Hotel in Dubai to discuss the role of the different participating sectors in the ground breaking project. MBRCLD revealed during the press briefing that it will initially partner with Al Bayan newspaper and will eventually tie up with other publications in Dubai for the paper recycling drive, which is expected to complement the robust growth of the UAE's paper industry wherein over USD 415 million is invested annually.
Speaking at the event, H.E. Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad said: "I commend MBRCLD for developing leaders who are sensitive and responsive to the environmental issues and challenges of our society. The 'Green Paper' project is a step towards the right direction in our efforts to cultivate the private sector's support in various environmental programs. I am confident that we will see more innovative and creative campaigns from MBRCLD that will promote a clean and environment-friendly society."
Adel Al Shared added: "This project has been initiated by the Government Leaders program participants of MBRCLD themselves, which I believe manifests their broad understanding of the different concerns that we are facing as a society. Through the Green Paper project, we initially aim to highlight the role of the publishing sector in protecting the environment. Moreover, this project will be part of a series of activities that ultimately seek to promote the long-term sustainable development of the emirate and support the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, particularly its provisions that concern the environment."
Under the Green Paper project, participating news organisations will give a "green bag" to each household or office that is subscribed to the paper. The newspaper subscribers will fill the bags with old newspapers, which will then be collected periodically. Subscribers will get a certain number of discount coupons and other merchandise offerings depending on the quantity of old newspapers in the green bag.
MBRCLD has been established in line with the vision and directions of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; who has underscored the critical importance of a highly competent national professional workforce to ensure the country's global sustainability.
