ADSW 2020: Making change happen
Abu Dhabi has become an effective platform to accelerate world’s sustainable development
The annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, that began on Saturday, underlines once again the UAE’s exceptional role in energy leadership as it gathers the global fraternity to renew its commitment to a sustainable future. What sets the ADSW apart is its realistic approach to achieving progress.
Consciously moving beyond the theory and ambition of the change the world needs, the event seeks to arrive at real-world solutions, and their grass-root implementation, the two imperatives that will make the difference between success and status quo.
The UAE has always espoused the importance of critical thinking and measurable outcomes in everything it does and these values drive the ADSW as well. The scope of the event is vast and covers the full field of renewables, from water, alternative energy, waste management and food security to the future of mobility, space, biotechnology in health, and technology for good.
The ADSW does not only talk about change; it makes it happen.
These issues are not new; they have been difficult challenges to overcome amid the rapid pace of human progress. But they gain an immediacy at the ADSW that throws its full weight behind seeking workable solutions to them. Year after year, the ADSW attracts the full spectrum of thought leaders, government representatives, policymakers and industry specialists from around the world to harness the power of ideas and inclusivity to engineer a better future for all.
The ADSW’s many focii, such as the World Future Energy Summit, the Irena Assembly (that sets the global renewable energy agenda by governments), the Youth for Sustainability Hub, speak of the diversity of purpose the UAE has committed itself to in hosting this event.
At the heart of ADSW is the Shaikh Zayed Sustainability Prize that showcases the UAE’s achievements as a global change-maker. The legacy of its founding father, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Sustainability Prize — earlier known as the Shaikh Zayed Future Prize and launched in 2008 — has helped transform the lives of millions across the world by supporting breakthrough ideas.
Its impact over the years is clearly visible in these numbers: 50 million homes powered by renewable energy; eight million people having access to clean drinking water, 25 million schoolchildren reached with solar lighting and 10 million people’s skills upgraded though training. It is irrefutable proof of what can be achieved with intent.
The ADSW does not only talk about change; it makes it happen.