Environment & Energy | Sunday 20 October, 2019 3:35 am |

Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), opens the sixth edition of The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2019 on October 20th under the theme ‘Innovative Technologies for a Sustainable Economy’ at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The sixth edition of WGES will be held until the 21st October and will focus on three main pillars: towards sustainable development, international cooperation towards a green economy system and adoption of green innovative solutions across varied sectors.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Managing Director and CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and Chairman of WGES, said: “The objectives of the Summit are in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Sustainable development in the UAE is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030, the UAE Centennial 2071, which aims to make the UAE the best country in the world by 2071, the UAE Vision 2021, the Dubai Plan 2021 and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 which indicates that 7 percent of Dubai's total power output will be derived from clean energy by 2020, rising to 25 percent by 2030 and 75 percent by 2050. ”

"Dubai is an active contributor and has a key role in bringing ideas, expertise and initiatives to create a better future for humanity, based on the emirate's position and efforts as the global capital of the green economy in the world," HE said.

 

The first day of the World Green Economy Summit 2019 is expected to focus on aligning energy policy to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the significant workload required to build a sustainable future. Participants will exchange views on successful sustainability strategies, systems and policies, and their potential for replication and scaling up. The first day will also focus on the role of women in achieving a green economy through innovation, cooperation, transparency, environmental management and social solidarity which are soft skills, and particularly important in environmental sustainability and sustainable development. This session of the World Green Economy Summit will explore the challenges and opportunities facing women in sustainability, highlighting a variety of women working in this field, in sectors such as energy, water, finance and development. 

 

This year, on the first day of the World Green Economy Summit, the focus will be on youth participation. By engaging young people in sustainability before entering the labor market, they can make more informed choices and draw the attention of companies that sustainability is something that must be taken seriously if they are to recruit the best talent. These sessions will encourage young people to engage in sustainable development and the green economy. In addition to the above, the first day will witness discussions on the green economy, with the presence of experts in the sector.

 

The second day of the World Green Economy Summit, which will see the Dubai 2019 Declaration, will highlight the sustainability of the private sector, green banking and investment, and the challenges and solutions for the green economy and sustainable agriculture.

The summit will oversee prominent international and local participation, including 60 speakers who will spearhead 14 panel discussions over two days. Among the top guests this year is President of Comoros - Azali Assoumani and Former Secretary General, United Nations - Ban Ki-Moon who is a keynote speaker. 

 

To enrich the summit discussions aimed at finding solutions to promote the green economy, achieve sustainable development goals and meet the challenges of climate change, a number of ministers, senior government officials, decision-makers, international consultants in the field of green economy, as well as NGO representatives are participating. Former President of France - François Hollande, Former President of Mexico Felipe Calderón, Former Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard, Former President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, and HE Ovais Sarmad, Assistant Secretary General UN, Deputy Executive Secretary - UN Climate Change. 

 

Locally, H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of State for Food Security, UAE; H.E. Eng. Awaidha Murshed Ali Al Marar, Chairman of Department of Energy – Abu Dhabi and H.E. Dr. Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr Director General, Smart Dubai Office will also be present. Additionally, H.E. Jonathan Young, Сhairperson, Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee, Parliament, H.E. Thoriq Ibrahim, Former Minister of Environment and Energy of Maldives, Dr. Waddah S. Ghanem Al Hashmi, Senior Director – Sustainability, Operational & Business Excellence – Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), Dr. Habiba Al Mar'ashi Chairperson and Founder, Emirates Environment Group Andreas Spiess, Co-Founder and Chairman, SOLARKIOSK Solutions will also join the summit that provides a leading platform for dialogue, partnerships and the exchange of ideas and experiences.  

 

WGES, will attract more than 3,700 participants, experts and opinion leaders in various fields of the green economy and sustainable development, including executives, partners, financial institutions and representatives of global markets from 78 countries. 60 Speakers will spearhead 14 seminars and discussion sessions.

 

Ahead of the World Green Economy Summit 2019 in Dubai, the first regional ministerial conferences on green economy were held in 2019, the first of its kind in five countries around the world to discuss green economy solutions that are most relevant to their regions. The World Green Economy Organization, the organizer of the World Green Economy Summit in partnership with DEWA, ​​led the preparations for the regional ministerial conferences in collaboration with international partners. As an extension of the annual World Green Economy Summit, the 2019 Regional Ministerial Conferences on Green Economy have been added as an attempt to enhance attendance from around the world. These conferences were organized on the basis of suggestions from partners and countries participating in previous sessions of the World Green Economy Summit to bring green economy solutions closer to their respective regions, which will contribute to the creation of more effective and easily implemented solutions. Some of the key issues addressed in these meetings included the empowerment of the political and legislative environment, the use of sustainable and green mechanisms, innovation policies and green finance.