Panel Discussion Series on ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’

The main objectives of EEG’s Panel Discussions are: • To promote knowledge sharing and learning among the community; • To formulate public opinion on important environmental issues; • To educate, change and shift mindsets to be more conducive to sustainable development; • To promote active discussions that may lead to creative solutions; • To instil a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment EEG’s Panel Discussions (which were previously known as Community Lectures) have been one of the most popular programmes since 1992. As our aim is to educate the community at large, these events are either free or a symbolic amount is charged. In 2016, under the overarching theme of ‘Sustainable and Responsible Consumption and Production’, which is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal 12, EEG organised valuable sessions on several issues related to water, energy and food. The sessions focused on the preservation of our natural resources and prevent the continued deterioration of the UAE environment by the irresponsible consumption patterns and unsustainable production practices and the overall objective of supporting the government’s strategy in implementing the sustainable development goals on the national level. In 2016, EEG organised four exclusive Panel Discussions on various issues related to Sustainable Consumption and Production. These were: • Ramadan Majlis • Sustainable Consumption and Production of Food • Responsible Consumption and Production of Water • Responsible Consumption and Production of Energy In 2016, the above-mentioned events were attended by over 300 individuals representing important government bodies, legislative authorities, hotels, schools and colleges. However, for a more holistic view on the impact of these events, we have provided the following data: As of December 2017, EEG had a total of 182 lectures/panel discussions with approximately 10000 attending over the years. Another major impact of the events is the high quality of knowledge that is imparted to the attendees. We ensure we only invite experts, who have years of experience in the field of sustainability, to speak at the panel discussions. A brief of the four sessions are provided below: • Ramadan Majlis: Esteemed speakers of the panel discussed availability of resources, food production and wastage, food security and proper consumption patterns. • Sustainable Consumption and Production of Food: The important themes discussed here included consumer behaviour, mega food wasters, ownership and responsibility; • Responsible Consumption and Production of Water: The main issues discussed during this event included water availability and scarcity, water demand, means of reducing water intensity for commercial sectors, lifestyle changes etc; and • Responsible Consumption and Production of Energy: The panel discussion focused on the following: alternative forms of energy, innovative energy sources, resource availability, renewables, etc. EEG has several plans in the pipeline to increase impact of this programme. With the right partnership, we would like to implement the following: • Invite regional and international experts in the field of sustainability and environmental conservation as speakers • Organise these events more often on several pertinent issues • Organise these events on a larger-scale to accommodate more guests, speakers and possibly, turn it into a whole day that covers various issues related to sustainability and conservatism