Dubai Supreme Council of Energy Strengthens Green Economy Partnerships

Following an invitation from the Danish Governmental Green Economy Foundation, a delegation from the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), headed by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of Supreme Council of Energy and MD & CEO of DEWA, is on an official visit to Denmark. The Delegation has visited Copenhagen’s City Hall in Denmark where Al Tayer met Frank Jensen, Lord Mayor of the City of Copenhagen, and Jørgen Abildgaard, Executive Climate Project Director of the City of Copenhagen. The visit enhanced cooperation and exchange of best practices and experiences on smart and green cities, and carbon emissions reduction. The meeting was attended HE Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Abdul Nasser Abbas, Senior Director of Treasury, and Ahmed Abdullah, Senior Manager of External Communications at DEWA. At the beginning of the meeting, Al Tayer thanked the Danish for their warm welcome. He provided an overview of the various initiatives of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and DEWA. These include the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 to diversify the energy mix and reduce demand by applying best international practices in the sustainable conservation of resources. He also highlighted the key projects DEWA is currently implementing as well as the latest technologies, and the smart and green initiatives implemented by DEWA. These initiatives support the Smart Dubai initiative launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the world in 3 years through 100 initiatives and 1,000 smart services to enhance living standards in Dubai, reduce its carbon footprint, and establish its position as a global role model for green economy. The meeting discussed Copenhagen’s strategy to become a leading smart and green city. The city’s 2025 climate strategy is to become the world’s first carbon-neutral city. The move will cut 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. They already have achieved a mid-term goal for 2015 by reducing emissions to 20% compared to 2005. Al Tayer and the delegation also visited the Danish retirement fund (PensionDanmark), in Copenhagen, where he met Torben Möger, CEO, and Jens-Christian Stougaard, Executive Vice President of PensionDanmark. The meeting focused on implementing best international practices in green financing, which was one of the key outcomes of the Dubai Declaration at the second Global Green Economy Summit 2015, held in Dubai last April. The Declaration emphasised Dubai’s continuous efforts to find innovative financing solutions for the green economy and its different activities, and to follow best international practices in green financing. Dubai stimulates and encourages the development of green finance mechanisms and ways to motivate and encourage investments and green projects in Dubai. Al Tayer also met Torben Huss, Executive Vice President of Investment Fund for Developing Countries, which is responsible for grants and funding in climate change for developing countries. The delegation earlier met Finn Mortensen, Executive Director of State of Green, which represents Denmark’s green economy sectors and one of the supporters of the World Green Economy Summit.