Week 4: UAE's Race in SDG 7 and 16
Hi everyone! It’s been a while. Today I will be discussing capacity and autonomy in relation to SDG 7 and SDG 16. So SDG 7 is affordable and clean energy and is an integral goal due to the multitude of effects it has on our world today. Our everyday lives depend on reliable and affordable energy services that operate smoothly. Think about it, many of the everyday activities you engage with require access to energy! Whether it be your alarm waking you up in the morning, your laptop to check emails or even your phone to receive texts, our entire livelihood revolves around our access to energy. SDG 16 on the other hand is peace, justice and strong institutions. This SDG is also integral as it promotes the reduction of violence, improving access to justice and the promotion of effective and inclusive institutions. I believe the country in the region closest to achieve both of these respective goals is the UAE, due to their high capacity and high autonomy.
Now many may chalk my choice up to bias, and there is probably an element of that present. However, the statistics also back my claim up and given the UAE’s incredibly progressive approach and tireless approach to improvement I am almost sure they will achieve these goals within the next two decades. Firstly, in regards to energy, the UAE is already incorporating an energy mix system which mostly runs on clean energy. The current breakdown is 44% clean energy, 38% gas, 12% coal and 6% nuclear. Current forecasts predict that nuclear will increase whilst the past few years have shown a reduction in the use of gas and coal. Therefore, I believe that very soon we could see UAE run on purely clean energy and nuclear energy. The UAE government has a very high capacity and therefore they are willing to invest over 600 billion dirhams into meeting SDG 7 before 2050.
Now, in regards to SDG 16, there has been progress. There are still some factors to improve however signs are incredibly promising as firstly the UAE is an incredibly peaceful country. The crime rate has stayed below 0.65% as the UAE has incredibly strict laws and harsh penalties and thus this deters individuals from even considering committing a crime. This is due to the UAE’s autonomy as they are able to articulate themselves freely and can thus establish these rules. Secondly, elections are more widespread within the UAE in areas such as the Federal National Council and lower chambers of the judicial and legislative branches. This opens up the system to the ordinary Emirati who would like to involve themselves within the government. Thus, there is improvement in allowing for freedom within these political institutions. Furthermore, each respective emirate can choose which citizens they want to elect without outside influence.
https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/the-federal-national-council-
This was really interesting to read! I feel like with most of our collaborative projects a lot of the SDG goals seemed to be inadequately reached, so it is refreshing to see your blog explaining the progress towards these goals within the UAE. What other aspects of SDG 16 do you think the UAE is/will struggle the most with?
ReplyDeleteI think your approach to SDGs in the UAE is very interesting, as from an outsider perspective my first thoughts would be that the UAE would be doing poorly in both SDG 7 and 16, given the amount of oil wealth it has and the fact that it is a monarchy. However, the points and data you bring up are completely true. I think it shows that situations are a lot more complex, and its good for people, especially ones that do not live in the region, to research where there has been development.
ReplyDeleteIn what ways do you think the UAE's energy sector could be improved? Also, is the UAE prioritizing any specific type of clean/nuclear energy? I would be interested to see how much of that 2050 pledge is going toward what type of energy.
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