GEC NEWS WIREOut of 140 countries, the UAE has ranked fifth in KPMG’s 2019 Change Readiness Index, which ranks participating nations based on how effectively they prepare for and respond to major change events. The Change Readiness Index measured countries across three key pillars of capability – enterprise, government and people and civil society. The UAE is the only country in the Middle East and North Africa region to place in the top 10.
This year’s edition of the Change Readiness Index focused on preparedness for climate change and nations’ capabilities to address and mitigate associated risks. In this regard, the UAE surpassed several other developed countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, placing fifth behind Switzerland, Singapore, Denmark and Sweden.
Exemplifying the nation’s commitment to addressing environmental issues, the UAE has developed a robust National Climate Change Programme to mitigate climate change by 2050. The National Climate Change Plan consolidates the country’s climate action under a single framework and identifies strategic priorities, covering both mitigation and adaptation measures. The UAE’s Vision 2021 also targets development of a sustainable environment and infrastructure.
The top ten performing countries of the Change Readiness Index remain largely unchanged from the 2017 report, with the exception of Norway, which has climbed from 11th to 8th place to replace Finland in the top ten. The EU performs above the global average in environmental sustainability compared to other regions. The 2019 Change Readiness Index, however, has noted that Europe’s financial sector is falling behind the global average and North America, and is performing marginally better than Developing Markets.
The 2019 Change Readiness Index is structured around three pillars enterprise capability, government capability and people and civil society capability, with subindices for each pillar. It covers 140 countries divided into four income levels, and assesses their underlying ability to manage change. Countries included in this index were selected based on KPMG’s ability to obtain sufficient or comparable primary and secondary data.
Fiona Tullett, Director, People and Change, KPMG Lower Gulf, said: “The UAE continues to make great strides in its endeavour to build a sustainable and clean future for its citizens. The government aims to invest AED 600 billion by 2050 to meet the growing energy demand in the country and ensure sustainable economic growth. To strive that the programme is successful, we will need to work together towards our common goal of a clean future.”
Timothy Stiles, Global Chair of KPMG’s International Development Assistance Services, commented on the analysis: “Climate change is among the most pressing issues we face as a global society. Those countries failing to recognise the impact of climate change are likely to be unprepared for its growing costs, which will be levied on citizens, businesses and economies around the world. Our 2019 report aims to demonstrate that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to responding to major change.”
Key takeaways
- Change Readiness Index is structured around enterprise, government, people, civil society capability.
- KPMG’s 2019 Change Readiness Index ranks participating nations on how effectively they prepare for major change events.
- Change Readiness Index is focused on preparedness for climate change and capabilities to address and mitigate risks.
- UAE surpassed several other developed countries, including US, UK, Australia.
- UAE was placed fifth after Switzerland, Singapore, Denmark and Sweden.
- UAE is the only country in Middle East and North Africa region to be placed in top 10.
