Ras Al Khaimah Municipality held a workshop to launch new green public procurement initiatives in Ras Al Khaimah.

The meeting revealed a new set of initiatives, “single-use plastic no more” and “go paperless” as part of the Green Public Procurement program of Ras Al Khaimah, which supports the adoption of sustainable procurement practices in the emirate since 2020.

The event witnessed attendance from His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Public Service Department in the Government of Ras Al Khaimah, and a large number of officials from government entities, private organisations and media.

H.E. Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, Director General of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, H.E. Dr. Saif Alghais, Director General of the Environment Protection and Development Authority (EPDA), H.E. Yousef Alblooshi, Director General of the Department of Finance, and Mr. Ramy Jallad, CEO of RAKEZ all formalised their commitment to the new initiatives in a signing ceremony in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi.

In presenting the “single-use plastic no more” initiative, H.E. Dr. Saif Al Ghais, Director General of the EPDA said, “Elimination of single-use plastics is a global priority as it also enhances the sustainability of our resources. We want to do our part, both by directly reducing consumption of these types of products in the government and also by promoting intervention in the market through a variety of measures”. About the “go paperless” initiative, Mr. Ramy Jallad, CEO of RAKEZ, said, “RAKEZ is proud to drive this initiative for the Government of Ras Al Khaimah. A key area of opportunity is the use of electronic methods of communication and certification, accompanied by more extensive employee awareness and controls.”

The Green Public Procurement program was started in 2020 with the introduction of criteria for procurement of frequently purchased product categories, such as paper, furniture, light vehicles, air conditioning, household appliances, carpets, IT equipment and others. The new initiatives take a further step, by reducing consumption of items with high environmental impact. The relevant regulation can be found on the Reem website of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, www.reem.rak.ae.

On the occasion of the signing ceremony, H.E. Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, Director General of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality said, “We look forward to supporting collaborations among government entities in Ras Al Khaimah to ensure the program achieves its objectives.”

The Green Public Procurement program is an enabler of the Ras Al Khaimah Energy Efficiency and Renewables Strategy 2040, established under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and targets 30% energy savings, 20% water savings, and 20% contribution of electricity from renewable sources by 2040. The strategy supports the UAE commitments for climate change mitigation and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.