Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | WGES Supports Climate Action

The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) supports the UAE’s journey, which started three decades ago to accelerate local and international climate action and adopt sustainable economic growth models as well encourage investments in clean and renewable energy. This will save the environment for safe and sustainable future for generations to come.

The WGES is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and organised by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO), in partnership with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is an important milestone for developing effective and proactive plans to fight climate change and promote international cooperation in combating this challenge. The WGES is also one of the UAE’s contributions to support the global community of climate action, in addition to promoting its economic value. WGES outlines a positive action plan especially as it is held amid the UAE’s preparations to host the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in 2023.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, and Chairman of the WGES, noted that the Summit focuses on strengthening cooperation among countries and between public and private sectors in innovation, technology, finance, and keeping pace with international best practices in the green economy. The Summit, which offers an exceptional platform to discuss the best ways to achieve green recovery, and develop low-carbon economies and combat climate change, contributes to the global community’s efforts to create a secure and sustainable future.

 “The UAE has been a pioneer and a leading nation in adopting innovative solutions to advance its transformation into a green economy. Thanks to the directives and tireless efforts of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai has sustained its bid to be the global capital of the green economy. Dubai has been at the forefront of enhancing international cooperation to solve global challenges, especially climate change and the environment. The UAE has made major achievements in energy transformation based on clean and renewable energy resources. This speeds up achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100% of the energy production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. We have major initiatives to diversify clean energy sources, including photovoltaic solar power, concentrated solar power, green hydrogen using renewable energy, and pumped-storage hydroelectric power,” added Al Tayer.

The World Green Economy Organization

HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in October 2016 during the World Green Economy Summit in Dubai, to enhance the transition to a green economy and the dissemination of green economy projects at a global level, as well as support countries and organisations seeking to achieve their strategies and green plans. The UAE organised the first-ever MENA Climate Week from 28 to 31 March 2022 in Atlantis The Palm, Dubai. The event was hosted by the UAE Government, represented by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), WGEO, and DEWA, in collaboration with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UNDP, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Bank Group. It was supported by regional partners, including the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the League of Arab States Secretariat, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

The event attracted over 15,000 participants from 40 countries worldwide who attended in person and virtually. It also attracted 500 global speakers and experts, including ministers and officials from the government and private sectors, and climate champions, in addition to officials from UN climate organisations. MENA Climate Week featured over 200 panel discussions, workshops and ministerial roundtable sessions. The Week’s activities focused on three tracks; the first was ‘Raising Ambition: National actions and economy-wide approaches.’ The second was ‘Tradition meets Modernity: Integrated Approached for Climate Resilience.’ The third track was ‘Accelerating Implementation in this Critical Decade.’

Key WGES Achievements

The 7th WGES

The WGES 2021 coincided with Expo 2020 Dubai. DEWA and WGEO, organised the Summit, in partnership with the UNFCCC. The Summit’s theme was ‘Galvanising Action for a Sustainable Recovery. The 7th WGES brought together many prominent speakers from across the globe, in addition to dignitaries and representatives from government organisations, academicians, experts and the media. The Summit witnessed high-level dialogues, panel discussions, and seminars on ways to develop innovative sustainable solutions and stimulate innovation to support sustainable development. These were centred around the Summit’s four main themes: Youth; Innovation and Smart Technologies; Green Economy and Policies; and Green Finance.

The Dubai Declaration 2021 recognised that climate change is an urgent global threat with impacts that reach beyond the environment agenda to include economic, social, and environmental challenges. It renewed the WGEO’s pledge continue as the leading platform and partnership enabler for international cooperation, knowledge-sharing and technology transfer between developed and developing countries, taking account of the special needs and circumstances of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, aiming to promote design and implementation of green economy policies at national, regional and global levels.

The 6th WGES

The 6th WGES in 2019 focused on three main pillars: sustainable development, international cooperation towards a green economy system and adoption of innovative green solutions. Presidents, global leaders and influencers attended the Summit. It attracted around 4,000 participants, experts and opinion leaders in various fields of the green economy and sustainable development, including executives, partners, financial institutions and representatives of global markets from 78 countries. 60 speakers spearheaded 14 seminars and discussion sessions.

The Summit focused on aligning energy policy to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the significant workload required to build a sustainable future. Participants exchanged views on successful sustainability strategies, systems and policies, and their potential for replication and scaling up. It also focused on the role of women in achieving a green economy through innovation, cooperation, transparency, environmental management and social solidarity, which are soft skills, and particularly important in environmental sustainability and its development. This version of the Summit explored the challenges and opportunities facing women in sustainability, highlighting various women working in this field, in sectors such as energy, water, finance and development.

Moreover, the Summit tackled sustainability of the private sector, green banking and investment, and the challenges and solutions for the green economy and sustainable agriculture. It also demonstrated the UAE’s ability to support the shift towards a green economy. This is through hosting fruitful meetings that brought together global environmentalists, technicians, and business leaders to discuss how the public and private sectors can optimise innovation to accelerate the shift toward a green economy.

The Summit witnessed the introduction of the Dubai Sustainable Finance Working Group that aligns the local finance sector’s key initiatives concerning the environment in the local and regional markets. It also highlighted the importance of international cooperation in addressing global challenges and promoting sustainable development worldwide. The establishment of the Regional Cooperation Centre (RCC) for the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the hosting of Regional Ministerial Conferences by the WGEO to enhance cooperation between the countries of the world, is a testament to global efforts to march towards a sustainable future.

The 5th WGES

The 5th WGES brought together more than 3,700 global experts, specialists, and opinion leaders to discuss key issues such as climate change and global warming. The Summit was especially important, because it set the journey towards the adoption and signing of the agreement establishing the WGEO.

The Summit focused on three main pillars, including Green Capital, digital transformation, leadership and social engagement. It also discussed the latest smart technologies and digital innovations accelerating the shift towards a green economy and sustainable development. This ensures the shift towards a green economy. The Summit identified paradigms and mechanisms for ideal public-private partnerships by developing legislation and regulations that encourage investment opportunities in energy, water and infrastructure projects and improve the quality of their services.  Participants highlighted the need for effective leadership in the public and private sectors to accelerate the transition to a green economy. This could be achieved by introducing progressive policies and incentives, influencing individual behaviour and consumption patterns, or raising environmental awareness. They also agreed that sustainable development must be inclusive, as it requires the total commitment of public and private sector leaders.

Youth Circles

The WGEO attaches great importance to youth and works to enhance the role of young entrepreneurs in recognition of their capabilities to find innovative and sustainable solutions that drive green growth and achieve sustainable development locally and globally. The Summit regularly organises youth circles to engage them in sustainable development and a green economy before entering the job market. VIPs, officials, specialists, speakers, experts, local and global investors participate in the youth circles to encourage their sustainability efforts. The 7th WGES held a panel discussion on the vital role of youth in the Arab Youth Council in fighting climate change as well as plans to benefit from the youth and their ambitions in countering climate change.