Under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Environment Mohamad Al Machnouk, IPT Energy Centre (IPTEC), the ESCWA, , the Ministry of Environment (MoE) and the UN Development Program (UNDP) held a conference on “Air Pollution from Land Transportation in Lebanon: Reality and Solutions”, at the UN House, Riad El Solh, Beirut, on Thursday November 13, 2014. Concerned stakeholders, experts and the media attended the event.
The opening session included the statements of the President of IPTEC Toni Issa, the Head of ESCWA Productive Sectors Section (PSS) -Sustainable Development and Productivity Division (SDPD)- Reem Nejdawi, the Head of Technical Services at the Ministry of Energy and Water Ibrahim Haddad representing Aurore Feghali the Director General of Oil at the Ministry of Energy and Water, and the Head of the Service of Environmental Technology at the Ministry of Environment Samar Malek representing the Minister of Environment Mohamad Al Machnouk.
At the onset of the conference, Issa stressed the fact that jobs within the energy sector require full commitment to safety and prevention procedures, as well as efficient risk-management through compliance with bylaws and recognized international standards to provide a safe and hygienic working environment.
For her part, Nejdawi asserted that the transport sector in Lebanon can be singled out for spreading pollution into residential areas, especially in densely-populated cities. Therefore, it is important to be vigilant to ensuing pollution and its direct impact on air quality and human health, as it is imperative to look into solutions and treatment methods.
In his statement, Haddad affirmed that the Ministry of Energy and Water encourages the use of clean, alternative and renewable energy. This is evident in the distribution of energy-efficient light bulbs, solar panels, and similar projects.
As for Malek, she stated that the transport sector in Lebanon is the primary cause for air pollution and the deterioration of air quality. She added that this particular sector leads to a 21 percent increase in CO2 from greenhouse gas emissions due to fuel combustion, amounts to.
Following the opening, two sessions were held to debate the impact of the Land Transportation Sector on Air Pollution and Climate Change in Lebanon, and the proposed Solutions to Reduce Environmental Pollution from Land Transportation in Lebanon. The first session was chaired by MP Simon Abi Ramia, and the second session by ESCWA consultant Dr. Walid Deghaili.
This activity comes as part of a series of workshops and programs developed by IPT Energy Center in the framework of social responsibility and sustainable development in the energy sector.
In the Media
- Press Release: Arabic- English
- Videos: Tele Lumiere Report
- Online News Articles: NNA- Annahar- Addiyar- The Daily Star- UN News Center- ESCWA UN- Assafir- Lebanon Files- Saida City- Bi2at Abou Zabi- Chabakat Al
Aankabout