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Dubai / WAM
His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday attended the opening of the fifth edition of the World Green Economy Summit (WGES 2018).
The Summit, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, will run till Thursday at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, under the theme ‘Driving Innovation, Leading Change’.
Delivering the welcome address, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy in Dubai, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Electricity And Water Authority, and Chairman of WGES 2018 Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said that the Summit is aligned with the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; and the follow up efforts of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to cement the UAE’s position as the best country in the world by 2071.
Al Tayer said that apart from the UAE, the Republic of Korea and Italy have expressed their interest in joining the World Green Economy Organisation, WGEO. He also said that representatives of 60 countries are attending the Summit, which serves as a preparatory conference to launch WGES.
He also called on world leaders to join hands to face the challenges caused by climate change and global warming through initiatives and solutions based on clean energy. “The UAE Green Agenda 2030 and the Clean Energy Strategy 2050 are high among our priorities. We have launched a number of projects to implement these strategies. We seek to achieve the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 in collaboration with various players,” Al Tayer said.
Al Tayer highlighted a number of clean energy projects launched in the UAE including the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Masdar, in addition to various
projects undertaken through public-private partnerships that aim to enhance environmental sustainability. He also said that in November, Dubai will organise an international competition for universities to design buildings based on solar energy. A second edition of the event will take place during Expo 2020.
He also said that the first edition of the World Green Economy Summit saw the launch of the first green finance fund worth AED2.4 billion that forms part of the AED100 billion ‘Dubai Green Fund’ initiative. The Fund aims to finance investments in the clean energy sector through partnerships with financial institutions in order to promote innovative solutions to support green projects locally and internationally.
In his keynote speech, former French President Francois Hollande highlighted his country’s efforts to tackle climate change. He urged developed countries to contribute financially to help developing nations tackle climate change.
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, discussed the UAE National Green Agenda 2030. Former UNFCCC Secretary-General Christiana Figueres highlighted various UN initiatives to deal with climate change.
Sheikh Maktoum took a commemorative photograph with attendees of the preparatory conference of the World Green Economy Organisation.