Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Atlantic Council will hold its sixth annual Global Energy Forum on 15th-16th January 2022 in Abu Dhabi.
The Forum will be held as a part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, a global event accelerating the world’s sustainable development. It will bring together a geographically diverse roster of senior government officials, industry executives, energy ministers, and recognised thought leaders in Abu Dhabi and around the world to set the energy agenda for the year ahead.
The 2022 Global Energy Forum will build upon the record-breaking engagement of the 2021 Forum – held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic – which harnessed the Atlantic Council’s unmatched convening power by using innovative digital tools and platforms to bring together leaders and influencers from around the world – reaching over 1,000 event participants, tens of thousands of online viewers, and hundreds of members of the media. The 2022 Forum will complement the in-person experience in Abu Dhabi with virtual elements that ensure participation from leaders around the world.
The event will have a particular emphasis on the path to net zero and a look-ahead at the challenges and opportunities as the UAE prepares to host COP28. The Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Centre will also be releasing the second edition of The Global Energy Agenda, a comprehensive set of essays from global energy leaders and a survey of hundreds of energy experts on the state of energy geopolitics.
On this occasion, Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said, "The UAE has been on the forefront of the ongoing energy transition in the region, being the first in MENA region moving towards the net-zero initiative. In order to tackle the energy transition, the UAE has adopted a wide range of energy mix with the right balance between sustainable development and reducing climate change as part of our energy strategy 2050 to ensure net-zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, our energy mix will be enhanced by improvement of our energy efficiency system in the industrial and mining facilities, as well as ratifying laws and legislation inspiring production of clean energy.
"Our vision is for these initiatives to increase the contribution of clean energy in our total energy mix to 50 percent in 2050," he added.
For his side, Frederick Kempe, President and CEO of Atlantic Council, said, "There has never been greater urgency for the world’s energy leaders to meet the dire challenge of climate change, and the 2022 Global Energy Forum will provide a critically important platform for policymakers to accelerate the energy transition. We look forward to the opportunity to return to Abu Dhabi and build upon the immense success of our virtual 2021 Forum by bringing together leaders from around the world to set the 2022 energy agenda."
The Forum is convened in partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Mubadala Investment Company, with Crescent Petroleum as Platinum Co-Chair.
Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum, said, "We are pleased to be a Platinum co-chair of the Global Energy Forum for a fifth year, as the forum’s impact and reach continues to grow and as the world seeks a roadmap for the low-carbon transition. Abu Dhabi is convening some of the greatest minds to help advance smart policy and business strategy in a low-carbon world and we look forward to advancing that dialogue and to helping set the energy agenda for 2022."