National Projects Holding Co (NPHC) has partnered with the Earthwatch Institute to initiate the 'National Projects Climate Fellowship'.

The first step in this direction will be inaugural Fellowship team participating in an eight-day 'Climate Change at the Arctic's Edge' tour in February 2008.

This fellowship will be led by the company's Dubai Recycling Park advisory board member - former president of Costa Rica and the first recipient of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Leadership Award José María Figueres.

'Both the Arctic and the Antarctic play a critical role in the world's complex climate system. What happens to these special ecosystems has a direct impact on global climate change, and vice versa. Therefore, it's increasingly important to understand how we can mitigate climate change, and the 'National Projects Climate Fellowship' is one step towards this,' said president Figueres.

Accompanying Figueres, the five-strong Fellowship team - consisting of members of the local Arab community and NPHC employees - will travel to the Arctic to observe and assist an Earthwatch research team study the impact of global climate change.

'At NPHC we are interested in engaging and educating our local communities, and our people, in discussion on the critical impact of rising Co2 emissions on our planet,' said vice-chairman and CEO of National Projects Holding Co.

The five fellows will have the unique opportunity to join an Earthwatch research team in early 2008 above the Arctic Circle. They will assist the team as they study the rate of melt on the glaciers, and gain a keen understanding of the risk to global ecosystems.Trade Arabia News Service