Dubai: Dubai will deliver one of the most environmentally sustainable World Expos in history, according to Reem Al Hashemi, UAE Minister of State and managing director of Dubai’s Expo 2020 executive body.
“We are committed to delivering one of the most green expos ever and are looking at how we can design a site and a mechanism that is sustainable,” she said during the opening session of World Green Economy Summit on Tuesday in Dubai.
Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, opened the World Green Economy Summit, which was held during the second day of Water, Energy, Technology and Exhibition 2014 (WETEX).
Under the title “Laying the Foundation for a Green Economy,” the World Green Economy Summit (WGES) is the first event based on improving the profitability of sustainability practices, products and services in the Middle East and North Africa region. It event aims to brings together world leaders who are united in pursuing a sustainable future and forging global partnerships that will lead to a green economy.
“Our aim is to make Dubai Expo 2020 a carbon neutral event by capitalising on available best practices and technologies,” Reem said.
She added that sustainability has been central in the design and planning of the Dubai Expo 2020 project since the earliest stages of the bid.
“We have developed detailed targets and strategies for the design of infrastructure and buildings, focusing on demand reduction, use of alternative sources, reuse and recycling of energy, water, waste materials and supplies.”
This will apply before, during and after the staging of Expo 2020, she added.
“Expo will be a catalyst for new initiatives and investments in sustainability. It will help advance the UAE’s objective towards a green economy,” she added.
Reem also said that Dubai want to be a centre of energy. “We have a strong hydrocarbon base, but relying on oil reserves has never been our strategy. 30 per cent of our country’s GDP is oil based, with less than five per cent in Dubai.”
The promise of a green, sustainable, and long-term form of energy has guided not just Irena but also the Expo campaign, she said.
“To be able to do this, we need to start in advance, and we look to international partners to play their role. The legacy of our Expo site has to live beyond the six months of Dubai Expo 2020,” Reem added.
Saeed Al Tayer added during his keynote speech at the opening of World Green Economy Summit also touched on the UAE’s desire to develop sustainable energy,
“According to Dubai 2021 energy strategy, we have to provide sustainable environment with comprehensive infrastructure to respond to the challenges of climate changes.”
He ensured the need to develop initiatives and adopt state-of-the-art technologies in order to use alternative and renewable sources of energy to secure energy requirements for social and economic development to realise the promising future.
“The UAE Vision 2021 aims to achieve balanced growth through a package of renewable sources of energy, including alternative, renewable and nuclear energy,” Al Tayer said.
“The World Green Economy Summit is an extremely important step towards driving the UAE’s development into a green economy, through investment, green partnerships and the creation of a global market for green products, technologies and services. This Summit will help us to achieve economic and social development as we seek to battle climate change, and form a road map towards a greener economy,” Al Tayer said.
