The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs has joined global sustainability leaders in a panel discussion on advancing energy-efficient building technologies to reduce carbon emissions, which was held as part of the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Director of Energy and Climate Change at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented the UAE on the panel as part of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)'s Building Day.

"Energy consumption in buildings, particularly for cooling, is the major source of emissions in the UAE,” said Dr. Al Zeyoudi. "Improving building energy and water efficiency is a high priority for the UAE, which also contributes to reducing costs.”

The panel session gathered government officials, private sector leaders and sustainability experts and was part of a discussion series for "Buildings Day”, hosted by the Lima-Paris Action Agenda (LPAA) to promote efficient building technologies on the sidelines of COP21.

"The UAE has been leading the region in adopting mandatory standards for buildings and appliances as well as labelling schemes in order to improve resource efficiency,” said Dr. Al Zeyoudi. "Close cooperation between the government and business sectors are critical in realising our vision to create low-carbon urban communities.”

Reducing carbon emissions from the urban environments is a key topic being discussed at COP21 as world leaders work to finalise a new global agreement to address climate change. The conference will conclude on 11th December.