Dubai set to host first-ever green economy summit
DEWA chief says summit is in line with Dubai’s plans to move towards a green economy
H.E. Mr Saeed Al Tayer, CEO and MD of DEWA said Dubai hopes to move towards a green economy in the future
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Global sustainability leaders and organisations have united in Dubai to create a ‘green’ economy for the future.
Organised by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the emirate will host the World Green Economy Summit (WGES) later this month. HE Mr Saeed Al Tayer, in his capacity as MD and CEO of DEWA, and chairman of the WGES, said that the summit is in accordance with Dubai’s various sustainability plans.
“Holding this high-profile event in Dubai is a testimony to the emirate’s relentless pursuit towards the transition to a green economy,” said Al Tayer. “The summit is in line with the theme “Green Economy For Sustainable Development’, an initiative undertaken by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
“The summit is also in line with the UAE Vision 2021, which aims to achieve balanced growth through a package of sustainable sources of energy, including alternative, renewable and nuclear energy,” Al Tayer added.
Speaking at the event with Al Tayer, Jens Nielsen, partner at World Climate Ltd said Dubai was the ideal city to host the event. “A global economic change is necessary if our growth has to continue as it has in the past,” he said. “We must simultaneously reduce carbon emissions and efficiently use scarce resources, while continually seeking better sources of renewable energy.”
“There is no global platform that focuses on making green business viable and finding solutions for a more sustainable future. The WGES is a unique and much needed long-term platform that brings together governments, businesses and the finance community to find these solutions,” he added.
WGES 2014 is being viewed as a suitable networking and educational opportunity for foreign businesses keen to enter the UAE and Middle Eastern markets. The summit will be the first to focus on green businesses, Nielsen continued, stating Dubai is the ideal city in the MENA region to host an event of this nature.
“Dubai is the ideal base for the summit due its focus on trade growth and innovation, its green economy ambitions and its many projects that focus on sustainability.”
Other sustainability-driven programmes in the UAE, such as the ‘Dubai Green Economy Partnership’ by HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the Executive Council, will also find agreement with the summit being hosted in Dubai.
HH Sheikh Hamdan’s plan aims ‘to promote the UAE and Dubai’s position to be among the global leaders in the green economy field, and to be also a global hub for exporting and re-exporting of green products and technologies to preserve the environment and support economic growth’, Al Tayer added, while addressing select media in Dubai earlier today.
WGES will be conducted on 15th and 16th of April, 2014 in conjunction with the 16th Water, Energy, Technology And Environment Exhibition (WETEX) 2014, at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
