The whole world wakes up every morning on the news of climate changes... floods in dry areas... unprecedented hurricanes and floods .. extinction of an animal species ... melting of ice prematurely... sea-level rise... increased heat and cold waves... All of these create horrific images of what the world would look like because of climate change and its impact on health and life on the planet.
Environmental studies indicate that developing countries including; African and Arab countries and many countries in Asia and Latin America are the most affected by this phenomenon. Despite, their limited contributions to global warming, they are the most suffering countries and will experience the catastrophic consequences of climate change because of their limited ability to cope with its effects.
All these expectations led the developed world countries to cooperate with the developing and Arab ones in the field of environment and climate issues as a strategic priority.
Adopting simple preventive measures to reduce this imminent danger is certainly better than the enormous losses that our planet could incur in the future.
Dr. Stefan Oschmann, visionary leader in science and technology, and sustainable development and Chairman of the Executive Board of Merck charitable institution believes that international cooperation has become an important necessity to preserve the planet. Hence, the world-leading German science and Technology Company announced the launch of a sustainability center at “District 2020”, Dubai.
The center includes a variety of programs aimed at finding solutions based on the application of advanced technologies and sciences for sustainability challenges.
The idea of establishing a sustainability center in the heart of Dubai came after a meeting with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.
A new generation
Oschmann said that Merck Sustainability Center aims at accelerating, building capacity and developing skills through launching a range of educational and research programs that encourage collaboration and joint work in research and development to support a new generation of innovators and spur the transition towards a more sustainable world.
The center will also include an incubator for startups focused on supporting new companies' growth in sustainability. It will also facilitate access to extensive expertise and the use of Merck group infrastructure.
“Our heavy consumption of natural resources is one of the environmental degradation causes,” he stressed.
Less consumption of meat
Nowadays, the public debate revolves mainly on giving up more meat, avoiding plastic consumption and reducing air travel.
“I believe that giving up only cannot be the proper solution, especially at the global level," Oschamann said. "Environmental problems should be addressed from its root."
Moreover, he added new technologies should be adopted in the nutrition field.
"Meat production is very influential in climate change, such as deforestation or methane emissions. At the same time, demand for meat will increase sharply in the coming years, especially in emerging markets," he added. "So we have to think about new production methods. The alternative is to produce biotechnology for so-called clean meat. This is meat that is not produced by conventional methods but from animal stem cells in a bioreactor - which means much lower gas emissions and significantly reduced land and water consumption."
Oschmann revealed that information and communication technologies already account for about 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, almost the same as aviation emissions from fuel. It is estimated that this share may rise significantly in the coming years.
Modern technologies are the key to sustainable control of our resource consumption without jeopardizing the tremendous economic and social progress of recent decades. In other words, we need "technologies for the future."
Better future
Chairman of Merck Executive Board said that Merck's first sustainability center at District 2020 in Dubai underscores the firm’s commitment to expanding its relationship with innovative companies, researchers and entrepreneurs.
“At Merck, we are devoting all our energies to achieve a better future. The center will work to spread knowledge among inpiduals with similar levels of knowledge and skills, build capacity in the countries of the global South, especially the Arab region and the UAE in particular and support startups that can provide sustainable solutions to improve people's lives via the use of science and technology,” He continued. “District 2020 provides the ideal platform to focus on fostering innovation and collaboration.”
Merck's presence in Dubai will further enhance Dubai and UAE vision to continue building a competitive knowledge economy based on sustainable applications of science and technology.
Merck intends to leverage its extensive experience in developing innovations and transformational ideas to serve many areas such as healthcare, modern biotechnology, government and academic research, architecture, automotive and cosmetics, as well as early-stage startups that develop new solutions to sustainability challenges, scientific innovations, advanced products and applications that keep pace with urgent medical needs.
Sustainability leaders
Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation believes that Merck Sustainability Initiative in Dubai will be an Arab and African nucleus for empowering young people and supporting their abilities to become future sustainability leaders.
She added that that young people have many untapped capacities that should be unleashed to lead the sustainable development and green environmental agenda of their countries.
“That's why we have developed the Merck Sustainability Initiative, under the slogan of sustainability is a shared responsibility,” kelej said.
In addition, she noted that the initiative aims at educating, engaging and empowering young entrepreneurs through access to information and mindset change to enrich their understanding of sustainability as well as support their new innovative businesses in sustainability.
“The Merck sustainability initiative consists of five core programs,” she said, adding that the first program will be dedicated to the “Ambassadors of Sustainability” through which distinguished intellectual, artistic and youth personalities will be selected to raise awareness among youth through media, social media and in various global and regional platforms with the aim of encouraging youth to lead a sustainable lifestyle while protecting the environment from further climate changes.
Educational Programs
The initiative's second program will organize sustainable education and training programs for students, community members, media, young professionals and entrepreneurs to improve access to information and change mindset to enhance their knowledge as future leaders of sustainability in their communities.
Kelej stressed that these programs will encourage young people to educate their communities and work together to find their own solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The third program includes incubators focused on fostering the growth of new innovative businesses in the sustainability field , including; sustainable innovation, sustainable interior and exterior decoration, fashion, and art.
A more sustainable world
The initiative fourth program will provide communicating and partnership opportunities to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable world including academia, research institutions, multisectoral companies, government, and non-governmental organizations, as well as community organizations, media and actors.
Moreover, the fifth program will provide collaborative R&D spaces to support a new generation of innovators, facilitate access to Merck's vast experience and infrastructure as a leader in science and technology.
“We will continue to engage young people to ensure their voices are heard in meeting challenges and exploring solutions for sustainability future,” CEO of Merck Foundation confirmed.
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