Dubai: Industry experts, as part of Earth Day celebrations, lauded the UAE’s concrete push for low-carbon growth by increasing its focus on renewables.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day — celebrated every April 22 — a global movement that tackles climate change. This year’s theme, ‘It’s Our Turn To Lead’, focuses on economic growth and sustainability, on pushing citizens and organisations from divesting from fossil fuels and putting their money into renewable energy solutions.

Dubai: The UAE moved one position up in network readiness index (NRI) and leads the ladder in the Gulf rankings due to the government’s continued vision to drive the development of information and communication technology (ICT) decisively and to expand it to all segments of the economy and society.

NRI, produced by the World Economic Forum in cooperation with Insead annually, measures the preparedness of an economy to use ICT to boost competitiveness and well-being and tracks the development of ICTs around the world.

Bertrand Piccard dedicated his first Solar Impulse 2 test flight on Monday to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Mr Piccard, Solar Impulse co-founder and pilot, said the Crown Prince had supported the project since its beginnings.

About 1,000 ghaf trees will be planted by children across the country in a scheme run by Dubai Municipality, Middle East hotel operator Accor and environmental portal Goumbook.

The reforestation plan will be launched this month as part of the Plant for the Planet Campaign, which will support Goumbook’s Give a Ghaf Tree initiative.