June 8, 2022 | JSS Private School Beach Clean-up

June 11, 2022 | Surfers Community Beach Clean-up

March 18, 2022 | Nord Anglia International School Beach Clean-up

Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing the world today. The UAE is classified among the categories of countries with the highest rate of vulnerability to the potential impacts of climate change in the world. This will result in warmer weather, less precipitation, droughts, higher sea levels, and more storms.

This year there will be the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26 – Glasgow 1-12 November) a summit that will bring parties together to accelerate action towards reducing climate impact. There will also be a youth summit called Pre-COP26 in Milan (30 Sept – 2 October). The British Council and DCL Consultants believe all sections of the community should have a voice and the right to have that voice heard. Especially young people, who will inherit the future! We know that the solutions to any communities’ challenges must come from within that community.

The British Council and DCL Consortium believe young people who will inherit the future should have a voice and the right to have that voice heard. We are creating a focus group to understand how young people in the UAE feel about climate change and the action being taken by governments and global leaders. The focus group is under the supervision of the COP 26 Global Youth Letter on Young People, Cultural Relations, and Climate Action project. COP 26 Global Youth Letter aims to reach 500 youth people to join the UAE focus group. Focus Groups – Hyper voice Cop26

By joining the UAE focus group and filling out the climate change survey, you will be eligible to enter the competition to win an essay prize of £1000  and a trip to a youth summit called Pre-COP26 in Milan (30 Sept – 2 October).

How can I participate in this competition?

• Please visit Hyper Voice COP26 and fill out the focus group application.
• Click on the focus group button, then select UAE, and then fill out the focus group survey.
• Share the link via social media with your friends.

Survey information :

• Climate change survey for youth (16-25)
• Duration: 5-10 minutes
• You can fill it out without any personal information.
• By Hyper Voice for the British Council and DCL Consultants

This is the reason the research team is requesting you to kindly join our community – so we can reflect your views, and other young people’s views, from across the world at Pre-COP26 and COP26 and ensure the Youth Voice is heard loud and clear. By joining the focus group, you will be ensuring your Voice is added to all those other Global Young People demanding change and action on climate change.

The Global Youth Voice Team appreciates your trust in us and looks forward to working with you to ensure that the Youth Voice is heard loud and clear.  The Global Youth Voice Team thanks you for your time and commitment to action on climate change and for helping us understand how young people feel about climate change and the action being taken by governments and global leaders.

Should you have any questions or need further information, email info@hypervoicecop26.com

Cigarette stubs and butts are among the most littered item in the world, according to environmentalists and waste management authorities, and the UAE is not an exception. Local authorities and environmental groups have reported that nearly half a million cigarette butts have been collected by authorities from beaches alone in 2017.

The environmental pollution caused by cigarette butts can be toxic to the planet as these butts do not decompose easily which can take up to several years while releasing toxins to the environment. With its global impact, the need to raise awareness about anti-littering of cigarette butts have become ever more important. 

Non-profit health organization Truth Initiative has reported that about 4.5 trillion cigarette waste are created across the world every year. The Dubai Municipality’s waste management department noted that these wastes are usually found on road intersections, islands on roads, and in many commercial areas, despite the strict rule that cigarette butt littering is punishable by law, and anyone caught littering can be charged with a fine of AED 500.

Volunteers who conduct clean-ups on beaches and other public places across the country also find cigarette butts to be among the highest contributor to waste, about 40 per cent of the waste they pick up during volunteer work activities. 

Natalie Banks, in a report by Khaleej Times, explained that cigarette butts littering can have negative impact on the marine environment and humans, as cigarettes have filters made from plastic, while other parts of it can take 30 years to biodegrade. She further highlighted that the filters release toxic chemicals such as arsenic, lead, nicotine, and ethyl phenol.

Banks advised that people should take up the responsibility to remind smokers to dispose the butts properly or risk paying a high price.

Dubai’s campaign against anti-littering of cigarette butts has sent a strong message of the need to further raise awareness about properly disposing waste by smokers.  In 2018, nearly half a million of cigarette butts were collected by Dubai Municipality waste management department in the emirate’s beaches alone, according to a report by The National.

The campaign themed ‘An Hour with a Cleaning Worker’ witnessed the participation of more than 2,200 volunteers which included families, students, and professionals. They joined the cleaning team of the Dubai Municipality in various clean-up activities, including 17 different beaches in the emirate. 

During the campaign, a large group of volunteers took part in collecting the cigarette butts on the shorelines of various beaches, and spent a total of 1,100 hours to collect about 400,000 cigarette butts, according to Dubai Municipality authorities.