- Global heads of state, senior UAE government and business leaders convene for launch of the largest sustainability gathering in the Middle East.

- ADSW 2019 takes place under the theme ‘Industry Convergence: Accelerating Sustainable Development’ and the six pillars of Energy and Climate Change, Water, Future Mobility, Space, Biotechnology and Tech for Good

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 14 January 2019: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, today welcomed global heads of state, local dignitaries and business leaders to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2019.

Attending the opening ceremony for ADSW 2019, which is being held under the theme of “Industry Convergence: Accelerating Sustainable Development”, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said sustainability was a key pillar in the UAE based on the legacy of sustainability established by the nation’s Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

“Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week is a platform that brings together the whole world in the UAE to discuss responsible and serious efforts and innovative ideas aimed at building a sustainable world that will ensure future generations a stable and secure life of energy, water and food,” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said. “Supporting all efforts to achieve concrete practical steps to ensure the implementation of sustainability objectives remains a fundamental approach in our country.

"We look forward to working with our partners around the world to find the solutions that will help us achieve the happiness and comfort of our people and ensure their future," His Highness added.

His Highness Sheikh ohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that under the leadership of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE supported global efforts to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and continued to play a leading role in stimulating various initiatives that served humanity.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed stressed that it was the role of the UAE to establish a culture of sustainability in society and to empower women and young people to continue the process of sustainability in all sectors and at all levels.

He pointed out that Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2019 represented a platform for stimulating global dialogue and mobilising energies to develop strategies and frameworks to achieve sustainable development, while this year's focus was on integrating sectors and uniting efforts to reach solutions to meet global challenges.

Distinguished guests included His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the Republic of Mauritania; HE Iván Duque Márquez, President of the Republic of Colombia; HE Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta;  the President of the Republic of Mali; HE Paul Kagame, the President of the Republic of Rwanda; HE Hage Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia; HE Milo Ðukanović, President of the Republic of Montenegro; and HE Yang Jiechi, Special Envoy to the President of China, Xi Jinping, and Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China.

Delivering the welcome address to the ADSW Opening Ceremony, His Excellency Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar, said: “The UAE’s pursuit of renewables is a natural extension of our existing energy leadership and commitment to sustainability. It is a reflection of our leaders’ dedication to addressing global challenges, in close partnership with the global community. We are building bridges across borders and bringing the public and private sector together around a single common cause.

“As we enter the fourth industrial age, artificial intelligence, big data and the internet of things are multiplying efficiencies and redefining possibilities, across each and every industry. This era of industrial convergence has the potential to completely transform the sustainability landscape. And at this year’s ADSW we are focusing on the symbiotic relationship between sectors to create lasting and tangible impact.

“The UAE is committed to partnering with the international community in the pursuit of sustainable development.  We are committed to advancing research and development of promising and commercially viable forms of clean technology. And we are committed to investing in the next generation of sustainability innovators. This commitment is embedded in the defining principles of a progressive, inclusive, tolerant and forward-thinking United Arab Emirates.”

HE Yang Jiechi, Special Envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, also delivered a keynote speech, stressing that China would work with the UAE and the international community to fully implement the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

“Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week is an important forum where development philosophies and brilliant ideas are shared,” he said. “Through this platform, the world sees a high-yielding oil producer that keeps fuelling the global economy and an incubator of new development ideas that provide intellectual impetus to human progress.

“The late [UAE] President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, understood the importance of planning for the future as the oil would eventually end. It is exactly this kind of vision for a sustainable future that has shaped the pioneering spirit of the UAE government today and made the country a vanguard of sustainable development in the region.

“For today’s China, the pursuit of green, low-carbon, sustainable development has become a responsibility essential for the building of a shared future for mankind. It is imperative that all parties pull strength to precipitate a scientific and technological revolution in the energy sector as that is the only way to bring about a disruptive technological breakthrough needed for us to attain net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“China advocates a win-win, equitable and balanced level government system in climate change and regards it as the first possible example of a community with a shared future where all parties enjoy intertwining interests, shared responsibilities and great harmony.”

The opening ceremony was followed by a high-level luncheon hosted by senior government officials and business leaders in the UAE and brought together some of the world's top sustainability leaders from the public, private and academic sectors to discuss trends and measures to promote sustainability around the world.

This year’s edition of ADSW will explore how digitalisation and innovative technologies are converging to provide new opportunities and solutions to drive economic growth, sustainable development and prosperity.

To align more closely with the UAE Vision 2021 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ADSW has widened its scope beyond renewable energy. ADSW 2019 will address global sustainability challenges and opportunities on the six pillars of Energy and Climate Change, Water, Future Mobility, Space, Biotechnology and Tech for Good. The topics of Youth and Digitalisation will inform each of these pillars and the programmes running throughout ADSW.

ADSW’s anchor event, WFES, will feature more than 850 exhibiting companies from 40 countries. Under the umbrella of WFES, the inaugural Future Summit is being held on 15-16 January, bringing together leaders from government, the non-profit community, institutional investors and the private sector to debate accelerating the transition to a sustainable society.

The first Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum (ADSFF) will also be held during ADSW 2019, and is designed to focus on increasing the adoption of sustainable financing and directing capital towards activities with positive economic, social and environmental impacts, setting the stage for Abu Dhabi Global Market to unveil its plans to create a robust and global sustainable finance hub.

The Youth 4 Sustainability Hub (Y4S) will provide a platform for students, young professionals, innovators and entrepreneurs to become more educated about the future of the sustainability industry. As part of the Hub, CLIX (the Climate Innovations Exchange) will again connect youth, entrepreneurs, innovators and investors to enable partnerships that will power climate change solutions through knowledge, innovation and funding.

This year, the expanded CLIX programme has received a record 811 applications from across 83 counties in categories including Sustainability in Space, Future of Energy, and Future of Food & Agriculture.

Meanwhile, the Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) platform will host its annual Forum on 16 January under the theme “The Role of Women in Advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.

The 2019 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week successfully concluded on January 19, with the region’s largest sustainability gathering once again achieving new milestones for attendance, participation and business deals.

To align more closely with the UAE Vision 2021 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, ADSW 2019 took place under the theme “Industry Convergence: Advancing Sustainable Development” and on the six pillars of Energy & Climate Change, Water, Future Mobility, Space, Biotechnology and Tech for Good.

An estimated US$11 billion in project announcements and business partnerships were announced during the week, with a focus on opportunities in India.

Underlining the key role played by youth and entrepreneurship, two dozen clean-tech startups participating in the Climate Innovation Exchange (CLIX) also received investment pledges of US$53.9 million, more than double the amount committed at its first event last year. CLIX is hosted by the World Future Energy Summit, the anchor exhibition of ADSW, and supported by the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment.

No fewer than 13 heads of state attended ADSW 2019, which began with the general assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) from January 12-13 and concluded with the two-day Festival at Masdar City.

With 2019 declared the ‘Year of Tolerance’ in the UAE, ADSW provided a unique opportunity to promote the country’s inherent values of tolerance, acceptance and understanding, while carrying forward the late Sheikh Zayed’s rich legacy of inclusion.

By bringing 38,000 people together from 175 countries, representing a diversity of cultures and backgrounds, ADSW 2019 helped reinforce the UAE’s position as a haven of tolerance and a hub for opportunity and creativity.

Reflecting the critical importance of the developing world in mitigating climate change, ADSW this year welcomed the heads of state of Angola, Armenia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Montenegro, Namibia, Samoa and Tuvalu. IRENA bid farewell to its outgoing director general Adnan Amin, while welcoming his successor Francesco La Camera.

The President of China, Xi Jinping, was also represented by His Excellency Yang Jiechi, Special Envoy and Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, witnessed the Official Opening Ceremony of ADSW on January 14, together with the Awards Ceremony of the Zayed Sustainability Prize.

In keeping with the expanded mandate of ADSW beyond renewable energy, the Prize honoured winners in the five categories of health, food, water, energy and global high schools.
Since awarding the prize for the first time in 2009, its winners have had a direct and indirect impact on the lives of more than 307 million people around the world and have been able to contribute significantly towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 1 billion tons. They have also saved 1.2 billion megawatts of clean energy, while expanding access to energy to 27.5 million people in some of the poorest communities in Africa and Asia.

Now established as one of the world’s largest sustainability gatherings, ADSW hosted more than 850 exhibiting companies from 40 countries this year, as well as 180 government ministers and 300 conference speakers.

ADSW also welcomed several new and high-profile additions to its week-long programme, including the Future Sustainability Summit, the inaugural Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, hosted by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), and the WiSER Forum, a Masdar-led initiative dedicated to the advancement of women in the sustainability sector.

The Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum witnessed ADGM launch the Abu Dhabi Declaration on Sustainable Finance to position the MENA region as a hub for investment into the sector. The announcement was well timed with Saudi Arabia energy minister Khaled Al Falih announcing at ADSW that the Kingdom intends to deliver as much as 60 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.

Once again, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (‘Masdar’) was proud to host Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. This year’s event coincided with a number of key business announcements, including the selection of the consortium led by EDF Renewables and Masdar to develop Saudi Arabia’s and the region’s largest wind energy project, the 400-megawatt Dumat Al Jandal wind farm.

Masdar also announced its entry into North America, with the acquisition of a stake in two wind projects in Texas and New Mexico, a strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Power Corporation and Mubadala Investment Company related to new power and water infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, and the unveiling of the third cycle of development under the US$50 million Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund, the largest clean energy initiative in the Caribbean.

• Aim of the Sustainability Bus tour is to encourage sustainable activities in local communities and raise awareness of ADSW 2020, one of the world’s largest sustainability gatherings that takes place from January 11-18
• The all-electric bus will tour the UAE’s seven emirates from November 28

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; November 26 2019: Masdar, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company and host of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), has launched an eco-bus initiative that will tour the United Arab Emirates to raise awareness about the world’s largest sustainability gathering in January.

In partnership with Abu Dhabi Power Corporation and Hafilat Industry LLC, the Sustainability Bus will travel to key locations across all seven emirates to educate local communities about sustainability and climate change.

“This campaign is a great opportunity to engage local communities across all the seven emirates of the UAE to raise awareness about ADSW’s commitment to sustainable development,” said Dr Lamya Nawaf Fawwaz, Executive Director for Brand & Strategic Initiatives at Masdar. “Furthermore, it will highlight the UAE’s pledge to deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Masdar’s mission to advance renewable energy and clean technologies around the world over the past 13 years.”

“Through the Sustainability Bus, our aim is to get everyone in the UAE on board our sustainability journey with a range of activities and educational workshops to enable them to play their part in addressing climate change, whether that is through recycling, reducing their consumption of power and water, or using public transport more often,” Dr Fawwaz added.

Visitors to the Sustainability Bus will be introduced to Masdar and its strategic platforms Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the Zayed Sustainability Prize, and Youth 4 Sustainability. They will also learn how they can make a difference in helping to mitigate climate change at home, such as by recycling and using more energy-efficient appliances. Interactive workshops will also be offered to children.   

The all-electric Sustainability Bus will visit every emirate in the UAE for a full weekend (Thursday to Saturday) from November 28. The tour starts at Al Rumailah, in Fujairah (November 28-30), before visiting Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah (December 5-7), Kite Beach in Um Al Quwain (December 12-14), Ajman (December 19-21), Al Majaz Waterfront in Sharjah (December 26-28), Dubai City Walk (January 2-4), and Abu Dhabi Corniche, East Plaza (January 9-11). The bus will end its journey at The Festival at Masdar City from January 16-18.

When launched at ADSW 2018, the Sustainability Bus was the first fully electric passenger bus in the region and served passengers on a number of routes in Abu Dhabi.

Launched in partnership with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport (DoT), Abu Dhabi-based manufacturer Hafilat Industry LLC, and electric motors maker Siemens Middle East, the bus has been designed to withstand the heat and humidity of the UAE climate. It has a lightweight aluminium body and a unique water-cooling system to optimise battery life and efficiency, even when the outdoor temperature is at its highest. The vehicle also has a highly energy-efficient on-board air-conditioning system.