Launching the Future of Sustainable Cities report, Suhail Al Mazrouei takes the lead

DUBAI, 15th March, 2020 (WAM) — His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and Chairman of the Global Council for Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals, launched the Future of Sustainable Cities report, during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure office in Dubai.

The launch was attended by His Excellency Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, His Excellency Younis Al Nasser, Assistant Director General of Dubai Digital, Executive Director of Dubai Data Corporation, Vice Chairman of the Council, and His Excellency Engineer Hassan Muhammad Juma Al Mansouri, Undersecretary The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport Affairs, a number of Their Excellencies, and representatives of private sector companies.
The report is a unified framework for models of successful sustainable cities and their future requirements, with the aim of helping all concerned to adopt a guide and unified foundations that ensure the application of standards for environmentally friendly sustainable cities in accordance with international standards.

It is also a joint effort that provides current analyzes of models of successful sustainable cities, characteristics of future models of flexible cities, and a presentation of new streams of urban solutions, in addition to reviewing the opinions of experts and specialists in the field, and the performance of cities compared to the indicators of the eleventh goal of sustainable development goals, and related recommendations.
The report, prepared by the Global Council for the Eleventh Goal of the Sustainable Development Goals – Sustainable Cities and Communities, which is supervised by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and Dubai Digital, identified a package of standards, conditions and requirements for a sustainable city within the goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe and capable of cultural resilience. Urban and environmental, through the use of information and communication technology to improve the quality of life, the efficiency of urban operations and services, the ability to compete, and smart transportation to meet the needs of current and future generations.
His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei said: “With the world’s increasing urbanization, Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals acquires paramount importance and occupies the forefront among the 17 development goals, and we in the UAE are moving successfully towards sustainable cities, through a multifaceted approach that includes the use of advanced technologies.” Such as digital twinning of the city, spatial planning and the integration of artificial intelligence, to achieve high standards for cities and their vitality, promote smart mobility solutions, build flexible infrastructure, reduce energy and water consumption and climate action, and achieve the goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050.
His Excellency added: “In line with the mission of the Global Council for Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals represented in providing actionable visions, proposing policies, developing technological solutions, and investing in resources to drive progress towards sustainable cities and societies, we are pleased to launch this report, which represents an effort led by the UAE to present The true potential of modern technologies for cities that are at the heart of fundamental global transformations, and we hope that the report will be an engine of change towards achieving the 11 Sustainable Development Goals.”
For his part, Younis Al Nasser said: “The UAE’s strategic contribution to the report, A Look at Sustainable Cities and Goal 11, is an embodiment of our commitment to employing our urban achievements to serve people and cities in the region and the world. Through the report, we wanted to give urban leaders and city leaders illuminations that they can rely on to measure their progress in achieving Goal 11, in their journey to achieve the future transformation of their cities in a sustainable way Our contribution to the report reflects the role that our country plays as an example, not only in the field of economic growth and innovation, but also in promoting sustainable urban development. We are committed to supporting this, and we hope the report will inspire other cities to prioritize sustainable development and work towards building a better future for all.”

It is worth noting that the Global Councils on Sustainable Development Goals were established during the sixth edition of the World Government Summit (WGS), to be a unique multidisciplinary network of decision makers from governments, international organizations, academia, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector, who come together to chart the way forward. Towards effective and strong implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals at the national and global levels.