UAE victory hailed as big step forward

Environmentalists celebrated the announcement that Abu Dhabi would be home to a new green-energy agency, saying it would improve the country’s image and encourage ecological efforts worldwide.

Winning the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) was gratifying, they said.

“Our efforts from all these years have been recognised,” said Majid al Mansouri, secretary general of the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi. “Abu Dhabi is something we are proud of; we have initiatives that are being approved worldwide. To have such a prestigious new agency will reflect positively on Abu Dhabi.”