The 11th World Green Economy Summit (WGES) opened today, Wednesday, 1 October 2025, under the theme ‘Innovating for Impact: Accelerating the Future of the Green Economy’. Organised by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO), the two-day summit concludes tomorrow, Thursday, 2 October 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Discussions started with a main plenary session titled ‘Green Technology for Resilience: Innovations in Smart Climate Solutions’, featuring Saeed Al Abbar, CEO of AESG; Stwart Peña Feliz, co-founder and CEO of MacroCycle Technologies; and Seneca Cottom, Head of Sustainability at Alshaya Group. The speakers highlighted that climate effects cost the global economy more than $320 billion in 2024, adding that resilience and innovation are no longer optional. They emphasised that greatest challenge is not just finance, policy or technology – it is integration: deploying capital to bankable projects, aligning fast-moving technologies with evolving regulations, and co-ordinating city upgrades. Circular materials continue to lag due to weak supply (e.g. PET collection rates at just 20 per cent to 30 per cent), costly and unscaled manufacturing, and hesitant offtake driven by concerns over price and quality. The speakers urged companies to accelerate this by offering pilot “sandboxes” and attention/time capital, not just money, with first-movers in the private sector taking the lead and governments codifying their gains for the remaining market by embedding simple, aggressive requirements into mainstream building codes. The discussion highlighted that the GCC – especially Dubai – demonstrates rapid, large-scale, sustainable urban development. With consumers largely understanding sustainability, the speakers called on companies to offer superior sustainable products, educate staff and incentivise returns and recycling. The summit also hosted a presentation on ‘Unpacking WGEO participation to COP30’, with the WGEO highlighting its strategic role in the lead-up to the global climate conference in Belém, Brazil. WGEO underscored its commitment to advancing the green economy, sustainability and clean energy, with a particular focus on relevance to the UAE and the MENA region. The session emphasised the importance of adaptation, resilience and climate finance in delivering bankable green projects, aligned with the UAE Consensus and the Just Transition Work Programme. During the opening ceremony, Michael Pollan, bestselling author, journalist and food sustainability advocate, said food production is responsible for between 20 per cent and 50 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, depending on how it is measured. This includes carbon dioxide from ploughing, machinery, transport and deforestation, as well as methane from livestock and manure, and nitrous oxide from synthetic fertilisers. He added that one third of all the carbon that humanity has added to the atmosphere was once in the soil, with much of it released through intensive farming practices. Pollan stressed that agriculture can do more than reduce its emissions – it can help roll back climate change by capturing vast amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and storing it safely in the soil. The author later hosted session titled ‘A Fireside Chat with Michael Pollan’, in which he outlined the dangers of today’s food system, where ultra-processed diets fuel obesity and chronic diseases, and industrial farming – heavily reliant on fossil fuels – wastes 40 per cent of all food produced. Government incentives, he noted, drive overproduction of corn and soy, prioritising cheap calories and meat, while hunger persists due to inequity, not scarcity. Pollan expressed hope in regenerative agriculture, citing practices such as reduced tillage, cover cropping and crop diversity. He, however, said scaling up these solutions will require greater mechanisation and investment. Other morning activities included a panel discussion titled ‘10 Years of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park: Driving the Vision of Leadership’, which featured Raad Al-Saady, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of ACWA Power; Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar; Jin Xiaolong, Member of the Party Committee and Vice President of Shanghai Electric; and Vishal Rander, Deloitte Partner for Infrastructure and Real Estate. The panel reflected on the lessons of the past decade and the opportunities ahead. Speakers highlighted the importance of visionary leadership, the transition from fossil fuels to renewables, and the challenge of providing round-the-clock clean power. They emphasised the role of storage, hybrid solutions and innovative models such as independent power producers (IPPs) in accelerating deployment. Discussions stressed the balance between a quantitative growth in capacity and the qualitative effects on communities, resilience and affordability. Looking ahead, the panel envisioned an increasingly electrified future powered by AI, robotics, renewables and green hydrogen. The main plenary discussions continued with a keynote address titled ‘Digital Environmental Awareness: How Can Youth Use Social Media to Raise Awareness of Climate Change?’, delivered by HH Sheikha Dr Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, Chairperson of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan Institutions. In her address, she highlighted the importance of social media platforms as effective tools for raising environmental awareness, engaging youths in climate action and promoting a culture of sustainability. This was followed by a session titled ‘Powering Prosperity and Protecting the Planet (PPPP) in the Era of Gen AI’, presented by Dr Arshad Mansoor, President and CEO of EPRI, where he said: “AI marks a shift from ‘knowledge is power’ to an era where electrical power creates knowledge. I urge replacing the term ‘data centre’ with ‘knowledge factory’: electricity is the input, data the feedstock and tokens the output. Power needs for AI will surge, driven less by training than by inference as billions use specialised, proprietary models. This demand transforms grid planning: loads can fluctuate by hundreds of megawatts and trip offline in milliseconds, threatening reliability. Instead of treating them as pure load, configure knowledge factories – using UPS, controls and on-site generation – to supply reactive power, voltage and frequency support, and flex during peaks.” A session titled ‘Global Leadership and the Climate Challenge’ was held, during which HE Sauli Niinistö, former President of Finland, said: “The fate of the Arctic concerns us all. Warming four times faster than the rest of the globe, black carbon from flaring and melting permafrost make consequences very, very bad. But climate change is not only about protecting nature, it is about protecting ourselves. Governments act when people demand, and business sees opportunity in renewables and green economy. Artificial intelligence may help but only if powered by renewables. Whatever is promised must also be meant to do. This is our common task, and we must act now.” In the afternoon, a session titled ‘The Role of AI in Shaping a Sustainable Future for Tech’ featured Amr Kamel, General Manager of Microsoft UAE; Dr Carlos Alvarez, Director of Grid Connection at Huawei; and Mohammad bin Sulaiman, CEO of Moro Hub. The panel explored AI’s promise and its environmental trade-offs. While AI enhances productivity, optimises supply chains and supports renewable integration, it also drives high energy demand in data centres. Microsoft emphasised aligning AI growth with sustainability through green infrastructure, recycling and partnerships. Experts cited AI’s role in predictive maintenance, fault detection and efficiency gains in grids, solar plants and smart cities. Meanwhile, a session titled ‘Heat, Hunger, and Health: How Climate Change is Impacting Human Health’ featured the participation of Olaf van der Veen, founder and CEO of Orbisk. The discussion focused on the effects of climate change on human health, particularly the increase in heatwaves, the decline in food security and the rise in environment-related diseases. The speakers emphasised the need for international co-operation to reduce risks and protect the most vulnerable groups. Olaf van der Veen stated that food waste is one of the clearest links between climate, hunger and health. He added that over 60 per cent of waste in developing countries happens in the supply chain, while in developed nations it is at the consumer end. By aligning economic and environmental incentives, and enforcing transparent reporting, the world can reduce waste, strengthen food security and build climate resilience, he said. The main plenary session also hosted a panel discussion titled ‘Climate Justice: Supporting a Just Transition in the Fight Against Climate Change’, featuring Hani Tohme, MENA Head of Sustainability at Kearney; and Ana Vukoje, Regional Lead, UNFCC, WGES Regional Collaboration Centre for MENA and South Asia. The session highlighted both opportunities and challenges. Progress and hurdles were outlined – with dialogue having advanced but negotiations stalling – underscoring the need for context-specific, whole-of-society approaches. Emphasis was placed on integrating a just transition into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and restoring trust in multilateral processes, particularly through civil society engagement. Key points included workforce displacement towards green sectors, the need for human capability building and convincing CEOs to act proactively rather than wait for regulation. The discussion also addressed fossil fuel subsidies, loss and damage funding, and the urgency of embedding fairness and equity into climate action. At the same time, the summit hosted a session on ‘Delivering a Green Hydrogen Economy: Is it Realistic?’ that featured Elie Adaimy, Group Director of Business Development and Innovation at Gulf Cryo; Aditya Saraswat, MENA Research Director at Rystad Energy; and Marcel Kooter, co-founder of Holland Hydrogen Hub. The panel highlighted how hydrogen is emerging as a safer and more sustainable fuel, with tests showing hydrogen vehicles pose fewer risks than diesel. However, adoption faces hurdles: in the region, diesel is six times cheaper than hydrogen, making the large-scale mobility transition costly. Speakers highlighted that pilot projects focus on mobility and off-grid clean power as near-term opportunities, given their lower capital requirements and readiness for deployment. Heavy industries like steel, cement and turbines show demand but require vast, currently unaffordable volumes. The programme also featured a regional presentation titled ‘Advancing Global Water Action: The UAE’s Efforts in the Lead Up to the 2026 UN Water Conference’ in the main hall, with the participation of Shaima Hussain Gargash, Director of the Energy and Sustainability Affairs Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mohammed Abdul Kareem Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia); Nawal Al Hemeiri, Director of the Future Energy Department in the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure; Ahmed Al Shamsi, CEO of TAQA Water Solutions; and Ayesha Al Ateegi, Executive Director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative. Gargash said water security is a national priority for the UAE, which is advancing energy efficient desalination powered by renewables, reusing over 50 per cent of treated wastewater – with a goal of reaching 100 per cent by 2030, and promoting smart irrigation and water efficient farming. The speakers stressed the urgency of tackling scarcity and affordability while showcasing innovation and partnerships. They highlighted the importance of reusing treated water, accelerating breakthroughs in desalination and scaling up affordable technologies through strategic collaborations. The panel also said policy, cultural change, capacity building, knowledge transfers and international co-operation are crucial to ensuring lasting solutions for global water security. Another session titled ‘Reimagining Global Governance Bodies: The Future of COP and Global Efforts to Tackle Climate Change’ explored prospects for advancing the global climate governance system. The session featured Dr Abdallah Dardari, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations Development Programme; Shaikha Mohammed Sharif, BESS and Thermal Solutions Engineer at Masdar and Lead Negotiator on the UAE delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; Nirnita Talukdar, APAC Regional Lead at the UNEP Finance Initiative-PRI Investment Leadership Programme; and Najib Saab, Secretary General of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development. Panellists debated reimagining climate governance and the future of COP. They cited slow progress due to consensus rules among the more than 190 parties, as well as divergent national priorities and gaps between pledges and implementation. Priorities include harmonising sustainable-finance taxonomies, interoperable data and involving financial institutions early to co-design policies. The summit will continue its activities tomorrow (Thursday) with new sessions focusing on financing the green transformation, carbon markets and food and water security. The summit will also feature the Emirates Energy Award ceremony, a number of TEDx sessions and ministerial and closing sessions.
