On Saturday, an official informed that an initiative to distribute 40,000 energy-saving bulbs for free among Abu Dhabi residents will offset the equivalent of carbon dioxide emissions produced by 2,000 cars.

Razan Al Mubarak, managing director, Emirates Wildlife Society and World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF), said that the basic aim of the initiative is to encourage sustainable living. The initiative also requests residents to take direct action in their homes by installing energy-saving light bulbs as a first step to reduce their household carbon footprint.

The campaign was started off by the officials and volunteers by distributing the bulbs at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

The campaign, which was jointly organized by the EWS-WWF, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD), and Abu Dhabi Electricity and Water Authority (ADWEA), is part of a new outreach initiative by Heroes of the UAE - a campaign that aims to tackle the UAE's ecological footprint, climate change and rising energy demand.

It was forwarded by Razan that over 50 per cent of the UAE's carbon footprint is produced by the households alone, as they consume huge amounts of energy on a daily basis, with electricity consumption for lighting being a major contributor.

She said: "We hope as many people as possible will take away energy-saving light bulbs to install in their own homes. It's just one very simple action against climate change, and we can know that we are making a real difference."

Furthermore, a campaign aimed at school children, private sector and government institutions would be launched in a few months, as a part of the ongoing efforts.