Masdar has awarded the winners of the Ecothon Plus competition at the World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi. The competition was held as part of Masdar’s Future Sustainability Leaders programme.
In collaboration with the UAE Emirates Red Crescent, the Ecothon aimed to provide energy-efficient solutions for the UAE-Jordanian Refugee Camp in Marajeeb Al Fhood, Jordan. The camp is operated by Emirates Red Crescent Society and provides humanitarian aid to over 4,000 refugees.
Dr Lamya Nawaf Fawwaz, Executive Director of Brand and Strategic Initiatives at Masdar said: “Developing and empowering youth is of strategic importance to Masdar. Through our youth-related initiatives we are committed to developing the next generation of sustainability leaders and providing them with the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of sustainable development. By hosting the Ecothon at the World Energy Congress, we connected the Ecothon participants with global leaders, policymakers and technology pioneers, which enabled them to build on the skills and capabilities they developed during the competition to learn about sustainability best practice and leadership. ”
A total of four teams of Future Sustainability Leaders, made up of local and international university students, participated in the competition, where they presented their project ideas for energy efficient solutions for the UAE-Jordanian Refugee Camp to a panel of judges. The judges commended the quality of the participant’s presentations and announced that all of the teams were awarded as winners.
The teams will receive mentorship from the Ministry of Energy and Industry, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and The Catalyst to further develop their ideas before visiting the refugee camp with Emirates Red Crescent to assess the ideas that are feasible for implementation.
The Future Sustainability Leaders programme is part of the Masdar-hosted Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S) platform, which aims to educate, empower and engage youth. The year-round programme connects local and international students and young professionals aged 20-25 with government, business and technology leaders to raise awareness of sustainability issues, develop vocational skills and promote career development opportunities.
Together with the Sustainability Ambassadors programme, a complementary initiative aimed at high school students, the Future Sustainability Leaders programme is dedicated to the realisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by engaging youth and empowering them to accelerate sustainable development.