Abu Dhabi, 7 June 2011
- Abu Dhabi will host the first
Eye on Earth Summit on December 12-15 2011,
in partnership with the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP). The summit will focus
on the issue of greater access to environmental
and societal data.
Over the past ten years,
Abu Dhabi has undertaken to develop thought
and practice leadership in the field of
environmental data. In 2002, at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg,
Abu Dhabi launched, under the guidance and
patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa
bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE,
the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data
Initiative (AGEDI) designed to help the
world's emerging economies acquire and best
use environmental information.
Despite progress, much
remains to be done: missing, inaccessible
or hidden data cannot contribute to decision-making.
Flawed judgments may result, with serious
consequences. Abu Dhabi's Eye on Earth aims
to find the solutions that will fill those
gaps, helping the world move towards a more
sustainable future based on informed policy-making.
Eye on Earth will address
this challenge by convening world leaders,
the environmental and societal information
networking movement and others to identify
and celebrate 'best-impact'; those data
initiatives from around the globe delivering
greatest benefit,; reach a consensus on
the key issues regarding greater data accessibility
and encourage stakeholders to collaborate
to strengthen existing initiatives and,
where necessary, to launch new ones.
The Summit will be hosted
by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, facilitated
by the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data
Initiative (AGEDI) and held in partnership
with UNEP. An Eye on Earth Exhibition will
showcase the latest developments in environmental
information and technology.
"Across the world,
sharing information has always been crucial
to good decision-making. Ensuring that environmental
and societal data is accessible to all those
who need it whether scientists, communities,
governments or thought-leaders, is essential
to moving the world towards a future founded
on informed policy-making. This is especially
the case in emerging economies and to ensure
sustainable development patterns. I am very
proud that EAD will be hosting this summit,"
said H.E. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary
General of EAD.
Welcoming the announcement
of the Summit, Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General
and Executive Director of UNEP said: "In
the run-up to the 2012 UN Conference on
Sustainable Development, Eye on Earth presents
a timely opportunity to identify practical
measures to bridge the environmental knowledge
gap and deliver the information and data
needed to support a transition to a low-carbon,
resource-efficient global Green Economy."
For more information,
please visit www.eyeonearthsummit.org
About Environment Agency
- Abu Dhabi (EAD)
The Environment Agency
- Abu Dhabi (EAD) was established in 1996
to preserve Abu Dhabi's natural heritage,
protect our future, and raise awareness
about environmental issues. EAD is Abu Dhabi's
environmental regulator and advises the
government on environmental policy. It works
to create sustainable communities, and protect
and conserve wildlife and natural resources.
EAD also works to ensure integrated and
sustainable water resources management,
to ensure clean air and minimise climate
change and its impacts. For more information,
visit www.ead.ae
About Abu Dhabi Global
Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI)
Conceived by the Environment
Agency - Abu Dhabi and launched by the Abu
Dhabi Government in 2002, under the guidance
and patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa
bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE,
AGEDI provides user-friendly access to high-quality
environmental information, through a variety
of information products. While EAD champions
AGEDI locally, the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) champions it regionally
and globally. AGEDI's objectives include;
to enhance environmental data collection
and assessment, to increase data capacities
for local, national, regional, and global
environmental decision making, to ensure
sustainable development planning is based
on quality, timely, useable, and updated
data and information, to provide accessibility
of data and information to all stakeholders,
to enhance national and international mechanisms
of information processing and exchange and
to enhance national capacities in information
handling and communications. For more information,
visit www.agedi.ae
About United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the designated
authority of the United Nations system in
environmental issues at the global and regional
level. UNEP's mission is 'to provide leadership
and encourage partnership in caring for
the environment by inspiring, informing,
and enabling nations and peoples to improve
their quality of life without compromising
that of future generations'. UNEP is headquartered
in Nairobi, Kenya. For more information,
visit www.unep.org
