Vice Chairman of DSCE launches State of Green Economy Report during the World Summit of Regions for Climate

Dubai (WAM): Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of Supreme Council of Energy, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Chairman of World Green Economy Summit has launched ‘The State of Green Economy Report 2015’, a key outcome of The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2014 held last April in Dubai in the presence of Former California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who will host the World Summit of Regions for Climate as Chairman of R20 in addition to the former prime minister of France, Manuel Valls, former United States Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton and UN Climate Chief, Christina Figueres, and others. The event was attended by Hamad Obaid Al Zaabi, Charge d'Affaires of U.A.E. in France. The articles have been authored by national and international experts in the field, speakers form the World Green Economy Summit 2014 and thematic leaders within the participating UN-entities. Dubai Carbon has managed the selection of authors and has curated the content in participation with UNDP and the World Green Economy Summit team, based on the relevance for the region and impact on green economic development of the respective topics. The Report features one overview chapter on green economy, jobs and youth engagement and six thematic chapters on other relevant aspects: Smart City, Clean Energy, Sustainable Lifestyle, Responsible Tourism, Green Finance, Green Industry. The Report features one overview chapter on green economy, jobs and youth engagement and six thematic chapters on other relevant aspects: Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs , Saeed Al Tayer, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Mattar Al Tayer, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Hilal Al Marri; Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Essa Abdulfattah Kazim, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and Abdulnasser Ibrahim Saif bin Kalban; Dubal Holding Llc. The publication follows a strictly participatory approach and received strong support from the United Nations network and other relevant supra-national bodies: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN), International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) / Worldbank, International Labour Organisation (ILO), and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Each chapter contains a group of initiatives and researches. Clean Energy chapter outlines Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, aiming to diversify the energy mix by 2030 to include 71% from natural gas, 12% from nuclear power, 12% from clean coal, and 5% from solar power, as well as reducing energy consumption by 30% by 2030. On the subject of clean energy, population growth, urbanisation and economic growth have a significant impact on our resources. IRENA predicts that global energy demand will increase by 60% within coming years. Our report focuses on the economic benefits such as job creation and development of new sectors that are borne from renewable energy expansion. On the theme of responsible tourism, we have dedicated a chapter on how Dubai can reconcile the expected spike in footfall around the World EXPO 2020 with the need to combat high carbon emissions in the aviation industry. The Green Finance Chapter focuses on the importance of mechanisms of finance to encourage green investment. During his speech at the Summit, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said: "In line with the Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the U.A.E. and Ruler of Dubai, and in line with the U.A.E. Vision 2021, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has launched the World Green Economy Summit 2015, organised by DEWA under the umbrella of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE). This summit comes in continuation of the efforts made to position Dubai as a global hub for green economy, energy efficiency and security, investment in renewable energy, and demand side management to curb carbon emissions and achieve the objectives of DIES 2030. "Dubai has always been open to the world as a hub for trade, but not only exchanging goods and services, but exchanging ideas as well. Dubai plays an important role as a trade-route bridge between the East and the West. Thanks to its global-level robust infrastructure in aviation, industry, finance, and business, Dubai has attracted the best leading names from across the world. This makes Dubai well placed as a nexus of global green economy in a geostrategic region that needs to diversify its energy resources and move away from the traditional hydro-carbons, in addition to the need to find more efficient methods of delivering fresh water to its people, we have two of the great catalysts for enterprise and change – opportunity and imperative," he said. "We are proud to be part of the World Summit of Regions for Climate here in Paris which gathers thought leaders and green economy experts from across the world. It is one of the main events that lead to the Road to Paris 2015. It is also the perfect platform to launch the Green Economy Report in the presence of world leaders to exchange knowledge and developments in this domain," he added. "We had key declarations at World Green Economy Summit 2014. Perhaps the most pivotal of them is the Dubai Declaration, which confirms our commitment to developing the World Green Economy Summit to be a platform to discuss the developments of green economy in the long run, and to develop Dubai as the capital of green economy. The report is a true indicator of our commitment to implementing the initiatives and declarations the resulted from the Summit. It also emphasises Dubai’s position as a driver to the green economy agenda in the world." "As His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, "The word impossible doesn't exist in our dictionary," Dubai has been built upon ambition and achievements. Once such milestone is the upcoming Dubai EXPO 2020, which is being held under the banner of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. These achievements support the notion that Dubai can become the capital of the World’s Green Economy, and this is a primary reason for organising the World Green Economy Summit, under the banner Global Partnerships, Sustainable Future," added Al Tayer. "The World Green Economy Summit is an international platform and a strategic enabler for the global green economy agenda, bringing together the world’s most prominent green decision makers. Following the success of the inaugural event this year, which generated new partnerships, initiatives and projects to develop a global green economy, WGES 2015 will expand to focus on new pillars and the introduction of further partnerships as well key initiatives. WGES 2015 will bring together top speakers, including CEOs, business executives, entrepreneurs, and national leaders. It will include interesting and relevant session topics and well framed discussions with international panellists. The WGES Public-Private Platform, launched at WGES 2014 aims to become a unique and premier platform for solution oriented PPP’s between business, government and finance," "Dubai has been built upon ambition and achievements. The World Green Economy Summit emphasise that. In the 2014 Summit, Dubai Declaration and other main initiatives were launched and they have been implanted to confirm Dubai’s commitment to drive development in Dubai as a global sustainable hub for green economy. WGES has achieved a remarkable success, the most notable is the Dubai Declaration which is essentially a series of commitments to guide us to the right path. These include Dubai’s commitment to the World Green Economy Summit in order to highlight the green economy and efforts for the Dubai EXPO 2020, and to develop Dubai as the capital of green economy and showcasing this at the World Green Economy Summit. Dubai is committed to producing and publishing the annual State of Green Economy Report which will showcase all Dubai green economy projects and initiatives. This report, published by WGES, and supported by major organisations such as Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, DEWA, Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence and the UN Development Programme is a knowledge product designed to further the debate that began at the Summit," "In line with its commitment to drive innovation into sustainable energy, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the U.A.E. headquarters the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The United Arab Emirates is one of the first countries that have endorsed the extension of the Kyoto Protocol in 2005, which limits the greenhouse gas emissions of industrialised countries. It was also the first Gulf nation to sign on to the Copenhagen Accord at COP15, supporting a long-term deal to reign in emissions. While many countries and cities around the world talk about adopting green economy, Dubai was among the first cities to join the fight to curb its carbon footprint and combat climate change and is already leading by example and acting on its strategies. As a strategic initiative by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence was established in January 2011, through an agreement between the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This Centre is specialised in the Clean Development Mechanism along with the best practices in reducing emissions in the Emirate of Dubai. The first of its kind in the region, it enables the Government to establish a baseline on present-day emission levels and track changes in the years to come," he added. "The World Green Economy Summit 2015 will build upon the success of the previous summit. We will expand its focus to include more major developments needed to build a green economy. This will include engaging young people as a major catalyst for change, global partnerships between the public and private sectors, innovation, finance, and new solutions," he concluded. The Second World Green Economy Summit will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the U.A.E. and Ruler of Dubai. It will be held from 22-23 April 2015 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. It is organised by DEWA and World Climate Ltd. under the umbrella of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy under the theme Global Partnerships for a Sustainable Future. It focuses on promoting green economy in the world and enhance the position of Dubai as a hub for trade, finance, green economy, and sustainable development. The summit will be held in conjunction with the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) 2015 and the Green Week. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates-international/1395270710011.html