The UAE’s position in the 2008 Living Planet Report reflects its high consumption pattern of goods and natural resources. By capitalising on its oil and gas (hydrocarbon) wealth, the UAE has been able to access natural resources that it does not possess from outside its borders. This has helped the country to develop economically and improve the lifestyles of the resident population. However, this development has also had consequences such as large and rapidly rising demand for energy. This growing demand for natural resources needs to be addressed by choosing development pathways that use resources more efficiently and that place a lower pressure on the planet. Like all other countries, the UAE needs to start making sustainable lifestyle choices and adopting tools that are capable of evaluating the effectiveness of these choices so that natural resources are used more efficiently and place a lower pressure on the planet.