Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week helps women connect and join forces for a better world, expert says

ABU DHABI, 21st January, 2016, WAM -- Women play a key role in advancing sustainable development and can use their decision-making powers to create a catalyst and inspire change, experts said at the Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy, WiSER, forum yesterday. WiSER opened its activities as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2016, attracting a large number of international environmental experts, organisations, company representatives, students and officials, including Minister of State, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who was in attendance. Established by Masdar and the Zayed Future Energy Prize, the forum recognises the pivotal role that women play in advancing sustainable development. WiSER hopes to inspire and empower women to be catalysts and drivers of climate change solutions, helping to secure access to food, energy and water. Speaking during a panel debate, Yukari Niwa Yamashita, Board Member, Director of Japan's Institute of Energy Economics, said that some of the aspects that advocate change include educating manufacturers and contractors on using more environmentally friendly practices, but she stressed that conscious consumers, especially women, are the key to any real change. "Consumers need to be aware of using energy efficiently, so one's lifestyle is important; change can be achieved either by being very conscious and doing it yourself or using the right energy efficient products," she said. Ms Yamashita said that women as decision-makers, especially in the household, can use their powers to create a catalyst and promote sustainability. "We have to spread the word and have think about the communication which can be effected by women. We are very good communicators and very much the decision-makers regarding the household, so whenever we want to buy a refrigerator or an air conditioner, we make the decisions, so we self-educate and spread the word." During the event, Dr. Nawal Al Hosany, WiSER Programme Director, announced a new partnership with General Electrics, GE, which hopes to empower women through expert training. "Masdar and GE are working together to create a tailored programme that will help equip as many women as possible with the right tools. Through this environmental leadership training programme, which will take place in GE’s Ecomagination Centre in Masdar City, we hope to achieve our objectives," she said. Deb Frodl, Global Executive Director, GE Ecomagination, said that it is very exciting to be collaborating on this effort which aims to garner more women into the industry. "We are very excited and honoured to be part of localisation efforts happening in the UAE and the region," she said. Ms. Frodl said that the partnership will bring the academic and NGO experience into the corporate world and help both sides understand operations, profits, etc. "We have tremendous training programmes that trainees will have exposure to, as well as senior leaders. We have women leaders that are tremendous role models inside the company that will inspire women coming into the programme," she added. Speaking to Emirates News Agency, WAM, on the side-lines of the event, Nadia Tobane, Project Development Director of MASEN in Morocco, stated that the partnership of WiSER with MASEN will be very helpful to women by giving them a hands-on professional experience which will benefit them and the sector. She added, "Women have a crucial role to play in sustainability and are often underrepresented in the related fields. WiSER is an extraordinary opportunity to unleash women's potential in sustainability in all cross-cutting matters to build a sustainable world, fighting efficiently climate change issues while heading towards the Sustainable Development Goals". "Women are generally the first ones to face climate change consequences, we see that very often in Africa. They have to be part of the equation and to contribute to the solutions being implemented in particular in renewable energy", she said. "So I think for all these reasons these kind of events and programmes are absolutely crucial to in bringing connecting women together to join their forces an create a better world and future for humanity," Ms. Taobane concluded. – Emirates News Agency, WAM -http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395290554940.html