Dubai: Organisers of the third World Green Economy Summit (WGES) said the October 5-6 event will welcome delegates from 60 countries to explore paths toward a sustainable economy using best environmental and business practices.
The summit will deliver a third Dubai Declaration to set the stage for Dubai to become the world’s green economy hub as part of UAE’s Vision 2021.
The event is being hosted by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) under the auspices of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The summit’s objectives are based on the outcomes and commitments of the 2015 World Green Economy Summit and are in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement, UAE Vision 2021, EXPO 2020 and Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 targets.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, vice-chairman, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, and managing director and CEO, Dewa, told reporters at a press conference on Sunday that the UAE and its green summit have taken major strides towards the creation of a green economy through renewable energy.
“The Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to provide seven per cent of Dubai’s energy from solar sources by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent from clean energy by 2050, and seeks to make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050 and a global centre for clean energy and energy conservation,” Al Tayer said.
Noting that this year’s summit will continue the Paris Agreement efforts to limit global temperature rises under 2 degrees Celsius to fight global warming, Al Tayer said the summit also affirms the decarbonisation efforts of the Green Growth Strategy approved by the cabinet. The strategy aims to create 160,000 new jobs and slash spending by billions of dirhams by 2030.
“The Dubai Declaration will focus on the outcomes of the summit,” Al Tayer said, adding that the final declaration will draw from a raft of public-private sector discussions at the event ranging from green finance and solar energy to climate change and smart, happy cities.
The theme for this year’s two days of intense plenary sessions and workshop driven discussions will be ‘Driving the Green Global Economy’, said Al Tayer.
Estimates are that green economic spin-offs will “help increase economic growth by 4 to 4.5 per cent by 2030”.
Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, lauded the efforts of the green summit “in order to curb the impacts of the global economy”.
Al Zeyoudi said the ministry “is keen to work with all stakeholders towards a green economy”.
Adnan Ameen, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), said $286 billion was invested globally last year in renewable energy, noting that: “2015 was a record year for renewable energy investment, with more capacity added worldwide from renewables for power than from all other sources combined.”
“To accelerate the energy transition already under way, convening platforms like the World Green Economy Summit are critical to promote the necessary cooperation between private investors and public finance institutions,” Al Zeyoudi said.
Frode Mauring, United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Resident Development Programme Resident Representative in UAE, said all have a vested stake in a new global green economy.
“We’re all in the same boat, a blue dot in a larger universe. We are the last generation that can end climate change,” Mauring said.
World Green Economy Summit 2016
According to summit organisers, the WGES 2016 is the “world’s leading platform to discuss, foster, plan and implement the shift to the green economy for government, business, finance and civil society”.
The summit’s objectives are:
Green Finance: How to mobilise sufficient global green capital
Solar Energy: World energy game changers bringing about the solar revolution
Smart, Happy and Green: Transforming cities through happy citizens
Bringing the Paris deal from agreement to action
Thought Leadership for the Green Economy: Making initiatives out of targets for the green economy
The Public-Private Partnership Platform: The unique green economy matchmaking mechanism
