The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) attaches utmost importance to maintaining quality, health, safety and environment at all affiliated agencies & sectors in conformity with the achievements made in projects and strategic initiatives launched in support of these projects.

The move comes as part of RTA's efforts to up the quality of services rendered to the public from the broad spectrum of community segments and contribute to achieve sustainable environment to the highest international standards.

In a statement to this effect, Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA's Licensing Agency, said: "The sustainable environment is one of the most important indexes of measuring nations and peoples civilizations. Fostering such environment therefore ranks among the top objectives sought by all civilized contemporary communities."

"We, at the RTA, are always keen on applying the environmental sustainability requirements at all RTA levels. We have also taken a keen interest in achieving this objective by launching several initiatives in this area through which the Licensing Agency managed to reduce the Carbon Footprint in all activities such as processing all transactions online and streamlining the required procedures. This has resulted in the processing of approximately 1.8 million transactions, and saving approximately 2.8 million sheets of paper, which translates to saving 106 trees from cutting," continued Bahrozyan.

"Adopting such course of action has reduced the frequency of peoples visits to service centers; which resulted in cutting down almost 3 million kilometers of road travel, saving about 61 thousand hours of customers' time, and saving nearly 300 thousand liters of fuel which cost about AED 3.4 million. These results realized by the Licensing Agency have also contributed to diminishing RTA's carbon footprint by about 1 million kg of carbon dioxide; the main factor contributing to the global warning phenomenon i.e. the equivalent of 1.6 kilowatts of electricity. The Agency has also recycled 79 tons of damaged number plates by selling them as a raw aluminum to beneficiaries. It is note-worthy that all of these achievements have been made in 2011," he further added.

"Since attaining the least carbon footprint rates requires environmental specialists to study all issues of relevance, combined efforts should be made as this responsibility has to be shouldered jointly by individuals and institutions alike," concluded Bahrozyan.

It is worth mentioning that the carbon footprint refers to measuring the amount of carbon emitting from any activity, or action made by individuals, entities, government departments or private institutions in all activities impacting the environment. To minimize the global warming of the earth planet, the reduction of carbon footprint has become a global demand that the United Nations is keen to foster and take up quite seriously.