7th World Green Economy Summit Kicks Off At Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai

Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the 7^th World Green Economy Summit (WGES) starts on Wednesday, 6 October 2021. The two-day Summit is held at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai, and can also be accessed virtually through the website www.wges.ae.

This year’s edition will see the attendance of several global leaders and officials from various sectors of the green economy and sustainable development, including Francois Hollande, Former President of France; Mary Robinson, Former UN Special Envoy on Climate Change, and Former President of Ireland; Fredrick Reinfeldt, Former Prime Minister of Sweden; HE Ban Ki-moon, President and Chair of Global Green Growth Institute and Former Secretary-General of United Nations; Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; HRH Princess Abze Djigma, Special Envoy of the President for Resource Mobilisation for SDGs and Climate Change, Burkina Faso; Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), and other officials from different countries around the world.

At the UAE level, WGES will witness the participation of HE Mariam Bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; HE Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises; HE Shamma Bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth; HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA and Chairman of WGES; and other officials from the public and private sectors.

HE Al Tayer stated that the World Green Economy Summit is held this year with the theme ‘Galvanising Action for a Sustainable Recovery’ as it focuses on strengthening the foundations of cooperation among world countries in innovation, technology, and finance, as well as discussing modern methods and technologies for a green economy. He pointed out that organising this year’s Summit held in conjunction with Expo 2020 Dubai, with the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ consolidates the position of the UAE and Dubai as a global hub for accelerating the pace of sustainable development and stimulating investments in the green economy.

First day programme

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer starts the event with a welcome speech followed by a keynote by HE Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri.

The first day’s programme has a speech by Francois Hollande titled ‘Sustainable development goals in practice’; a speech by Mary Robinson titled ‘Climate justice for future generations’; a lecture by Fredrick Reinfeldt titled ‘Global insight: learnings from Sweden’s sustainable energy transformation’.

Within the pillar of ‘Green Economy and Policies’, the programme also includes a panel discussion titled ‘The Road to COP26’. For the Green Finance pillar, two discussion panels will be held titled ‘The coming green infrastructure boom’ and ‘Financing Africa’s Sustainable Energy Future’. In the Youth pillar, the session is titled ‘Young people’s crucial role in combating climate change in the Middle East’. In the Innovation and Smart Technology pillar, there will be a discussion panel titled ‘Building Back to NetZero’.

Furthermore, on the first day, participants will learn about Denmark’s Climate Partnership Model. In 2019, Denmark announced a 2030 target to cut carbon emissions by 70% as a step towards achieving full climate neutrality by 2050.

Second day programme

The second and final day of the Summit features a speech by HE Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri about ’Sustainability and Food Security’. HE Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi will talk about the role of youth and SMEs in driving climate action forward. There will be a video speech by HE Ban Ki-Moon. Sanda Ojiambo will deliver a speech titled ‘Half a Degree at a Time: A Paradigm Shift Towards a Sustainable Business’. Lewis Pugh, Endurance swimmer and Patron of the Oceans, United Nations, will talk about ‘Rising Sea Levels and Melting Ice Sheets: The True Cost of Climate Change’. In the Green Finance pillar, there is a panel discussion titled ‘Risk and Reward— Sustainable Finance’, and another session titled ‘How-to: ESG disclosure and avoiding greenwashing’. In the Green Economy and Policies pillar, there is a session titled ‘The Coming Regulatory Scrutiny’, and another session titled ‘High Tech Agriculture Propelling Food Security’. In the Youth pillar, there will be a session titled ‘Tech to Power the Green Infrastructure’, and another session titled ‘Today and Tomorrow’. The Summit will conclude with the launching of ‘Dubai Declaration’, which includes recommendations of the participants, the outcomes and the highlights of the event.

WGES 2021 coincides with the 23rd Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) and Dubai Solar Show, which is being organised by DEWA from 5-7 October 2021 at Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo 2020 Dubai.