In a renewed demonstration of the UAE’s thorough and multi-faceted approach to tackling a wide range of global environmental, economic and sustainable development challenges, the EcoWASTE Exhibition & Forum will be co-located with the World Future Energy Summit.
One of the Middle East’s premier business events, gathering together the world’s leading technologists, government officials, entrepreneurs and investors, it is to be held in strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center (Tadweer), at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) between 5 – 7 April 2021. Its comprehensive agenda addresses recycling, waste management and waste-to-energy industries in the MENA region and beyond.
EcoWASTEis an ambitious and ground-breaking platform that seeks to implement sustainable waste management practices, activate climate action, and facilitate circular economies by way of accelerating the development and adoption of policies, technologies, solutions and frameworks.
The urgency of laying a firm foundation for a feasible and efficient waste management ecosystem stems from the increasing rates of waste production around the world. The situation is further complicated by global developments that have engendered a substantial surge in persistent waste from particular sectors, in addition to the interruption of waste management operations around the world.
The EcoWaste Exhibition & Forum agenda for 2021 has thus been devised to address the aforementioned threats, as well as to develop viable and long-term transformation strategies for the adoption of the circular economy model. Furthermore, EcoWaste 2021 will look at the integration of modern technology into waste management, minimising waste production, reducing consumption, and improving recycling and re-use rates, particularly in the MENA region.
Domestically, Abu Dhabi continues to pursue progressive policies aiming to curb waste and improve waste management, with a phased plan to ban single-use plastic products by 2021. In Sharjah, leading environmental management company Bee’ah is targeting zero waste in the emirate’s landfills by 2021; an upward trend in the GCC region, where governments have set waste-to-energy targets through which more waste will be diverted away from landfills and into renewable energy generation.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in the UAE has launched its Scale 360 initiative, which aims to utilise technology and innovation in the service of the circular economy model, which, a report published at the World Government Summit confirms, can save GCC economies almost $138bn by 2030; nearly 1 per cent of the region’s cumulative GDP between 2020 and 2030.The World Economic Forum similarly foresees major economic benefits GCC nations stand to reap by adopting a circular strategy, including the development of new economic value chains.
Commenting on the announcement, Dr Salem Khalfan al Kaabi, Director General of Tadweer, said: “EcoWASTE Forum & Exhibition currently stands as a key platform that facilitates innovation and incentivises investment in the field of waste management. The event is an ideal opportunity for collaboration between key stakeholders in the waste management sector around the world, and it is here that we will work together to eliminate the risks of pollution. EcoWASTE will additionally host various innovative solutions tackling waste management challenges and will be a venue where world-leading experts can exchange knowledge and work together toward the practical, effective and sustainable transformation envisioned by Abu Dhabi government.”
One of EcoWASTE’s key exhibitors is the Italian company, Dulevo International, which manufactures and supplies industrial sweepers, and its CEO, Tighe Noonan mentioned that the exhibition is a perfect venue to showcasing innovative technology and doing business with prestigious customers. “We are at the sharp end of municipal cleaning and waste management”, he remarked, “literally the first line of defence when it comes to maintaining clean, safe and sanitized urban and industrial areas. The EcoWaste Exhibition gives us an excellent opportunity to highlight our product capabilities as well as to emphasize their benefits in terms of reduced environmental impact.”
Grant Tuchten, Group Event Director at the World Future Energy Summit said that the Exhibition & Forum “will bring together governments, experts, technology leaders and financiers within an environment distinctly conducive to doing business. The world’s sharpest minds will be in attendance, together with key government decision makers, investors, financiers and the companies at the forefront of waste management technology. There’s no better way to forge effective and long-lasting business relationships – relationships that benefit everyone, because effective waste management is one of the biggest contributors to a safe, clean and sustainable environment.”
The EcoWASTE Forum will host senior-level executives in municipalities and government, consultancies, developers and manufacturers to discuss practical solutions for waste management, with particular emphasis on reducing food and plastic waste, increasing recycling, improving solid waste management and tackling medical and hazardous waste.
The EcoWASTE Exhibition & Forum, organised by Reed Exhibitions, is held in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Center of Waste Management – Tadweer, and will be hosted at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 5-7 April 2021.