By Matovu Abdallah Twaha www.gulftoday.ae
Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai reduced one million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide last year and saved Dhs3.4 million, a great contribution.
Carbon footprint refers to an individual or organisation’s actions or lifestyle that have direct effect on the environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
The actions are use of fuel and energy by means of transportation, household electricity use and the energy used for the production of food, clothes and other things.
“We, at the RTA, are always keen on applying the environmental sustainability requirements at all levels,” said the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RTA’s Licensing Agency, Ahmed Bahrozyan.
“The agency recorded 1.8 million transactions and saved approximately 2.8 million sheets of paper, which is equal to saving 106 trees from being cut,” said Bahrozyan.
“Adopting such a course of action has reduced the frequency of people’s visits to service centres, which resulted in cutting down of almost 3 million kilometres of road travel, saving about 61,000 hours of customers’ time and nearly 300,000 litres of fuel, which cost about Dhs3.4 million.” Going by the poor rating of the UAE on carbon footprint, stemming from eating imported, packed food, bottled water, using private cars among others, the RTA’s contribution amounts to saving carbon footprint of 27 people.
If it were in the developed world, the RTA’s saving would have been equal to 90 people, and as per the UN’s desired figure of 2 tonnes for each individual, the RTA’s saving would have been equal to 500 people.
Many people expressed ignorance about carbon footprint and what they can do to offset it.
However, there are some who know about it and try to do their bit to save the planet.
Melli R. of Al Khan in Sharjah said: “I am conscious about what I buy and how to pack them. More so, I turn off the lights, computer, heater, DVD player and anything that uses power.”
