Dubai has declared Feb. 17 a “car-free†day in a bid to encourage the emirate’s car-loving population to use public transport and raise environmental awareness, Gulf News reported on its website.
Dubai Municipality is encouraging its employees and visitors to its premises to give up their vehicles for the day, while other companies are being urged to do the same, the UAE daily reported on Tuesday.
Dubai Municipality was not immediately available for comment.
Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates have the world’s highest per capita carbon footprint according to the authoritative WWF Living Planet report, exceeding that of the United States, the world’s biggest polluter.
The WWF said UAE must cut its carbon emissions 75 percent to be sustainable.
Transport accounts for 42 percent of CO2 emissions in Dubai, Gulf News said in its report.
