UAE launches global call to action on sustainability

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, ADSW, today launched the #WeAreCommitted campaign, calling on the global community to pledge their support to sustainability. The online campaign has brought together Sheikhs, government ministers, ambassadors, business leaders, and young innovators to share their commitments.

According to economic analysis, tackling sustainability-related challenges could save the global economy up to US$30 trillion and help prevent millions of people being displaced due to climate change.

Commenting on the campaign, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, who participated in the launch video, said, "#WeAreCommitted is an impressive global campaign for sustainability. We encourage millennials worldwide to take a leaf out of the UAE’s book and learn how to lead a more sustainable life as our forefathers did in the past."

"Through advancing innovation and leveraging the latest technologies, the UAE has emerged as a model of global sustainability stewardship. The country has adopted a set of effective policies and strategies that integrate efforts to achieve sustainability across diverse fields. It has also paved the way for the public and private sectors to work together to launch joint projects and initiatives that drive sustainability at home and abroad," he noted.

In turn, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said, "Masdar has a commitment to sustainability and to motivating all members of the community, both in the UAE and around the world, to take practical steps towards adopting sustainable lifestyles. We urge the public to take part in the #WeAreCommitted campaign as no single technology or company can meet this demand alone."

To align more closely with the UAE Vision 2021 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, 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.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, ADSW hosts heads of state, government ministers, policymakers, industry experts, innovators and future sustainability leaders.

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, which will launch this week, is one of the largest sustainability gathering in the world and a global platform for governments, businesses and members of the local community. It annually attracts more than 38,000 attendees, with the 2018 edition seeing more than $15 billion of commercial deals were announced during the week.

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