Hosted by Dubai Science Park and the Dubai Green Economy Partnership, the event saw over 120 industry leaders and delegates convene at the Address Hotel, Dubai Mall
Dubai, UAE: Dubai Science Park, a member of TECOM Group, in collaboration with the Dubai Green Economy Partnership hosted the 7th Green Leadership Series as part of its commitment to playing a leading role in the clean energy revolution. Fostering public-private partnerships to drive innovation and showcasing the country’s green ambitions at the domestic level, the event followed closely after the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 22), which saw strong particiatpation from a UAE delegation comprising over 100 representatives from the government, business, academia, and 30 students.
Speaking about the overarching role of the Green Leadership Series H.E. Ahmad Buti Al Muhairbi, Dubai Green Economy Partnership Chairman and Secretary General of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy said: “Dubai’s vision towards a diversified, knowledge-based economy is underpinned by a clear roadmap, as we embrace a brand new sustainability model that will help us promote the green economy far beyond the borders of the emirate. Building on this momentum, the Green Leadership Series lives up to the spirit of creating capacity, and knowledge across all industry verticals which, in turn, cements its position as a platform where best practices are shared and opportunities are created to ensure greater collaboration among the public and private sector in pusuit of sustainability.”
The agenda of the 7th edition of the bi-annual Green Leadership Series, which attracted more than 120 delegates to two panel sessions, was driven by Dubai’s green policies and highlighted progress made towards the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the city’s development of a low-carbon economy.
H.E. Fahad Al Gergawi, Secretary General of Dubai Green Economy Partnership and CEO of Dubai FDI, spoke of the opportunity for Dubai to: “The UAE is leading the clean energy revolution in the region and it fills us with immense pride to gather the industry against the backdrop of remarkable progress in building the emirate’s green economy. As it continues on its path of diversification, Dubai is creating a space for solar energy to thrive. The 7th Green Leadership Series provides a platform for reflecting on past success and continue building on the momentum in spurring further growth in the field.”
In the spirit of UAE National Innovation Week, the two sessions at the 7th Green Leadership Series also showcased the ambivialance in promoting forward-thinking green technologies across the emirate. These discussions analysed various best practices that are already available to the industry, as well as the prospect of innovative and sustainable product launches the UAE, and wider Arab region.
Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Executive Director of Dubai Science Park and member of the organising committee, said: “Energy has been a cornerstone of Dubai’s rapid growth into a global economic centre, attracting talent from around the world. As the UAE continues to build on its diversification strategy, Dubai again has an opportunity to once again take the lead. In creating a future powered by clean energy, the emirate will help define a new standard for progress, leveraging renewable power sources, particularly solar. With the Green Leadership Series firmly positioned as a platform that gathers the industry’s foremost thinkers in this field, the seventh edition focused on highlighting the value of sustained research and development expenditure, and the immense potential we have with regards to solar energy.”
Janahi, who opened the event with inspiring welcoming remarks also moderated a keynote panel that centred on the role of research and development in meeting the needs of energy efficiency, ESCO markets and green investments. Linking the federal investments of US$25 billion in the development of a clean energy with city-wide progress in pursuit of sustainability, the discussion saw Dr. Peter Kew, Heriot-Watt University; Edwin Ubinas, Senior Researcher in Energy Efficiency at DEWA and Manager of the Solar Decathlon Middle East Competition; Dr. Artus Ph. Rosenbusch, Vice President Strategy Consulting of innogy International Middle East; and Abdullah Alsaeeri, Technical Project Manager at Shuaa Energy 1 PSC, draw on the opportunities that lie in sustained R&D expenditure while opening conversations with entrepreneurs and key industry leaders to explore new avenues for Dubai’s green economy. The panel concluded with a reminder that R&D and legislative developments can stimulate change but they won’t be sufficient in bringing about a clean energy revolution without the active participation of every member of society making more green consumer and lifestyle choices.
Reiterating on ‘How Shams Dubai drives Innovation and the Green Economy in the region’, the second panel discussion focused on analysing permits, incentives and financing challenges connected to solar energy in Dubai, and in particular solar distributed generation, by using the available rooftops of Dubai. The discussion also focused on the involvement of contractors and consultants authorised by Shams Dubai, underlining the importance of successful and lasting collaboration between private and public sector in the promotion of meaningful innovations, and the UAE green economy.
Guided by the UAE Vision 2021, the Green Leadership Series was launched in 2013 and has since provided a platform for the founding members of the Dubai Green Economy Partnership – made up of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Dubai Roads & Transport Authority, Dubai Municipality, Department of Economic Development, Dubai Foreign Direct Investment, Dubai Science Park, Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence, Etihad Energy Services Company, Emirates Global Aluminium, and Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) – to engage with and support forward-thinking public and private sector entities to fully embrace the Emirate’s pioneering sustainability model with the aim to further accelerate growth of the alternative energy and environmental industries.