High CO2 emissions choking Dubai

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 10 Feb 2010

Dubai emits a massive amount of carbon dioxide - estimated at 23 million kilogrammes daily, according to the 2009 statistics revealed by Dubai Municipality (DM).

The transport sector accounts for 42 per cent of the Emirate's total gas pollution, in which over 82 per cent comes from car petrol emissions alone, reviewed the environment department of the DM.

Hamdan Al Shaer, Director of Environment Department at the DM, said that the carbon dioxide emission per vehicle in Dubai varies from 110 to 250 g/km.

"According to the figures available in 2009, there are 1,021,880 vehicles in Dubai and they emit 23,34,762kg carbon dioxide a day. This is in addition to the tens of thousands of vehicles that enter the city from other emirates," he added.

While revealing the above figures at a media meet on Tuesday, the DM Director General Hussain Nasser Lootah announced "car-free day" for the civic body's employees and officials to be observed on Feb.17. They will switch to public transport, aimed at creating awareness on air pollution in the city.

"Whilst observing the car-free day on next Wednesday, the Municipality urges residents and visitors not to use personal cars, as well as other governmental departments and companies to follow the new environmental initiative," said Lootah.

"More than 1,500 employees in the DM headquarters and the nearby offices of the Municipality will use mass transport systems including bus, Metro and Abra services to reach at work on the day. We encourage everyone to minimise the use of cars and reduce the volume of carbon emission," he added.

According to Lootah, the best way to care for the city and preserve its environment is to reduce the number of vehicles on roads. It's significant to protect the environment by practicing sustainable environmental behaviour and reducing the emission of carbon dioxide that pollutes the air.

Al Shaer explained, "As per the DM's 2009 statistics, there are 841,444 petrol cars that account for 82.34 per cent of Dubai's total number of vehicles. The daily CO2 emission from these cars is estimated at 19,221,893kg. About 21,852 number of petrol trucks follow in second place at 2.14 per cent with 499,186kg of CO2 emission."

"While, 75,231 diesel cars of the city produce 1,718,572kg of CO2 daily at 7.36 per cent, and 2,456 diesel trucks emit 56,105kg of CO2 at 0.24 per cent, 22,481 diesel buses emit 513,555kg CO2 per day at 2.20 per cent, 24,435 heavy diesel trucks emit 558,192kg CO2 at 2.39 per cent, 18,653 heavy diesel buses emit 426,108kg CO2 at 1.83 per cent and 15,328 petrol motorcycles emit 350,152kg CO2 at 1.50 per cent," detailed Al Shaer.

Lootah stressed that environment protection is not only the responsibility of the government bodies, but all people have a role towards the goal.

Lootah said, he himself would park his car at Rashidiya station and catch a metro train to reach the office as the DM parking lots will be closed on Feb.17.

"A detailed report will be prepared based on the result of implementing the initiative, which will include the statistics about the volume of carbon dioxide emission reduced due to the initiative by calculating the number of participants and the kind of vehicles they use," he noted.