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H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, has stressed that the UAE applies the highest standards to reduce the negative impact of climate change.

"Addressing issues of climate change is a top priority for the UAE government and sustainable development is the way forward to preserve resources for future generations," His Highness said, while chairing the Ministerial Development Council meeting today.

The meeting addressed issues related to climate change and Sustainable development, among other topics.

The Council was briefed on the results of the Environmental Performance Enhancement Initiative, which was launched at the UAE Government Annual Meetings with the aim of developing an integrated system to promote and enhance environmental performance in the UAE.

The Council also discussed a report on the UAE Air Quality Initiative, which demonstrated that the UAE has achieved the required targets for the World Air Quality Index from 2014 to date. The Council reviewed two reports on the outcomes of the third and fourth meetings of the UAE Council for Climate Change and the Environment in 2018.

The outcomes included the enhancement of joint government efforts to implement a climate-friendly infrastructure, particularity in the environment and health sectors. The Council also discussed the formation of the Foreign Direct Investment Committee, which aims to enhance the competitiveness and diversification of the national economy, based on knowledge and innovation.

The committee aims to position the UAE as a major attraction for foreign direct investment at the regional and global levels. According to a report by the Institute of International Finance, the United Arab Emirates topped the Middle East and North Africa, MENA, countries in foreign direct investment, which reached about $11 billion in 2017, accounting for 22 per cent of the total foreign direct investment in that region. The Council reviewed reports of the Audit Bureau of the final account of the Emirates Telecommunications Group for the fiscal year 2017, the final account of the National Committee for Exhibitions and Conferences for the fiscal year 2017, and the final account of the General Civil Aviation Authority for the fiscal year 2017, among other topics on its agenda.