Top government officials from various countries are taking part in the 6th World Green Economy Summit (WGES 2019), which opened in Dubai, UAE.

It which was inaugurated by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and president of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa).

The event is being held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It is organised by Dewa and World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO).

The event is taking place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and is concluding today (October 21).

The opening ceremony was attended by Azali Assoumani, president of the Comoros, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, vice chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman of WGES, Ban Ki-moon, former secretary general of the United Nations; François Hollande, former president of France; Felipe Calderón, Former President of Mexico; Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister of Australia, Ovais Sarmad, deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

In his keynote speech, Saeed Al Tayer said: “The event is being held under the wise leadership of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and under the patronage and insightful directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.”

“The event’s theme is ‘Innovative Technologies for a Sustainable Economy,’ and derives its agenda from HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum forward-thinking directives to balance economic growth with the sustainability of natural and environmental resources,” he said.

“This supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, UAE Centennial 2071, UAE Vision 2021, UAE Green Agenda 2030, Dubai Plan 2021, and Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. Within this framework, our achievements, projects and initiatives continue to strengthen the UAE's pioneering position in the use of clean and renewable energy globally,” he added.

“The UAE has succeeded in taking effective measures to address environmental challenges and climate change, by launching pioneering clean energy projects, especially solar power. Recently, the world’s biggest solar photovoltaic plant of 1,177MW Noor Abu Dhabi at Sweihan in Abu Dhabi was commissioned on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model,” he added. “Dubai continues its work by building the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. This will be the largest single-site solar park in the world, which will have a capacity of 5,000 megawatts by 2030, generated from a range of photovoltaic and concentrated solar power technologies.”

Saeed Al Tayer continued: “This year’s summit will focus on three key pillars: Sustainable Development Mechanisms; International Cooperation to support the Green Economy System; and Adoption of Green Innovative Solutions.”

“Under the guidance of our wise leadership, we are sparing no effort to make Dubai a global hub for green economy and a sustainable economy, a role model in clean energy by leveraging on the Fourth Industrial Revolution to use innovative disruptive technologies,” he said.

“To ensure the availability of clean solar power around the clock, we are keeping pace with the global growth in energy storage. According to the Wood Mackenzie Energy Storage 2019 report, the global energy storage market will expand 13-fold in six years to reach 158 GWh by 2024. Dubai supports this comprehensive approach through innovative energy and sustainability projects. We are building the largest single-site Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) investment project in the world within the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. Based on the IPP model, the project will include the construction of the world's tallest 260-metre solar tower and the world's largest global thermal storage capacity of 15 hours; allowing for energy availability round the clock,” he stated.

Al Tayer added: “We are also constructing the first in the GCC region Pumped-Storage hydroelectric power plant on Hatta Dam, using solar power for pumping and storage. The plant will store up to 1500 megawatt hours. This is in addition to the Green Hydrogen Project, the first solar-powered green hydrogen electrolysis facility in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. This project uses clean energy to produce green hydrogen that will be stored and deployed for different uses.”

HE Al Tayer added: “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO) in 2016 with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) during the third edition of the World Green Economy Summit (WGES) to move the transition towards a green economy and to support its projects across the world. It also aims to back countries and organisations to help them achieve their green strategies and plans. We are confidently moving forward in accordance with key strategies to establish the green transformation, and this year has been packed with numerous achievements. Today we announce the inauguration with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, of the Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) dedicated to provide technical and knowledge direct support to governments, non-government organizations and the private sector in the MENA region.”

“Since its inception, the World Green Economy Summit has succeeded in establishing global platform that brings together world leaders, entrepreneurs, decision makers, experts and specialists in green economy, and has contributed to close partnerships between the public and private sectors, and the launch of environmentally friendly initiatives that benefit the whole world,” HE Al Tayer pointed out.

“The journey to a truly green economy is a long and continuous one, but the unstinting commitment of individuals, academia, and the private and public sectors, along with the support of the wise leadership, will enable us to succeed, marking our milestones as we move forward. Organising forums and conferences such as the World Green Economy Summit will help us to better coordinate our efforts and helps everyone present to gather the key insights to make good on our global common ambitions for a green future while addressing the climate change,” HE Al Tayer said.

Al Tayer added: “I take this opportunity to reiterate my gratitude to Your Highness for Your presence at the sixth edition of WGES and I highly appreciate the contribution and efforts of all participants in this summit that made it reach this pioneering international rank. Also, I thank all delegates who will take part in our sessions and important discussions throughout the coming two days. I am confident that these sessions and discussions will bear fruit in reinforcing the journey of green economy regionally and internationally.”

Azali Assoumani, president of the Comoros, said: “The systemic crises that all of us face today cannot be addressed in isolation because one is related to another. If our problems are interconnected, it must be then, that solutions also require us to connect with each other and collaborate. As an archipelago, the Comoros Government recognizes that safeguarding our diverse ecosystem is essential to our survival and is an efficient and effective way to address food and water security for our people.”

“About 80 per cent of our rural population relies on rain-fed agriculture. With climate model predictions depicting huge negative impacts on Comoros such as reduction of the dry season and increased wet season, as well as extreme cyclones, it is in our interest to protect the balance of nature for us to move forward sustainably,” he said.

“Creating jobs and sustaining livelihoods must be within the parameters of environmental protection, and thereby investments must be wisely directed to activities that promote social inclusion and sustainable growth. Comoros has committed to increasin its protected areas estate tenfold from our current base,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service