The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit commenced on January 19, 2021 morning in presence of H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council. The summit is part of ADSW 2021, the global platform for accelerating and boosting sustainable development. The virtual event was hosted by Masdar.

Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed greeted and welcomed the leaders, officials and experts who were participating in the summit sessions which were centered around enacting of a ‘green recovery’ to help rebounding of economies from the pandemic and thereby build a more sustainable future for all.

Sheikh Hazza stressed that the UAE’s continuing efforts are under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to accelerate sustainable development. He said that ADSW holds significance this year as it provides a global platform for discussion on sustainable green recovery.

Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed said, “In light of the exceptional circumstances that the world is experiencing, there is an urgent need to take practical steps and initiatives that contribute to accelerating the application of the principles and foundations of sustainable development, with the need to take proactive steps, plan for a more flexible future and strengthen capabilities in order to efficiently face the existing and emerging challenges.”

He added, “The Emirati initiatives, present to the world a practical model on the economic feasibility of renewable energy, stressing the importance of cooperation and joint work to achieve tangible progress in the field of reducing the repercussions of climate change.”

Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed said that Abu Dhabi continues to establish and reinforce its position in a pivotal role of bringing together the international community for discussing crucial issues surrounding sustainability. He added that he hopes this year’s ADSW would initiate constructive global dialogue on building a secure and stable future.

H.S.H. Prince Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, delivered the Summit’s keynote speech and thanking Abu Dhabi for hosting the event he said, “I believe the crisis we are experiencing is urging us to reinvent the ways we live, produce and travel in a more radical manner. It is urging us to rethink our relationship with nature and to re-evaluate our priorities. In this respect, the coming year will be full of opportunities which we need to grasp.”

Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chairman of Masdar, praised leadership in his speech for its constant support to sustainable development.  He said that the Covid-19 pandemic has re-stressed the importance of working towards a sustainable future in a broader way and also showed importance of health, food and resource security. He explained how under the wise leadership UAE’s efforts to tackle pandemic focused on improving resource security and boosting supply chains. He noted that later this year, the country will host the Dubai Expo, with event’s main themes being sustainability and the future.

Dr. Al Jaber highlighted the role of Zayed Sustainability Prize in promoting global sustainability efforts, and its positive impact on over 350 million people across the globe. He said that the award’s special importance to leadership is due to its embodiment of values and principles of the founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his commitment to sustainable progress. He said that award will return next year in usual form and will focus on innovation and recovery in post-pandemic period.

The ADSW Summit is composed of three sessions, each being two hours long. The focus is on three topics: restoring the circle of life (Live & Move), enhancing responsibility and interaction (Care & Engage), and doing business and investment (Work & Invest). Each topic addresses the key issues and topics that would make way for the social, economic and technological opportunities to enable a post-pandemic green recovery.

The ADSW runs from January 18-21 and hosts various high-level virtual activities, including the General Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Abu Dhabi Forum for Sustainable Finance, and the Global Energy Forum of the Atlantic Council, the virtual platform for the “Youth for Sustainability” platform, and the World Future Energy Summit forums.

In addition to H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco; speakers at the summit included: HRH Prince Khalid bin Al-Waleed bin Talal Al Saud, Chairman of the Board of Directors of "KBW" Investment; Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, Group Chief Executive Officer, and Managing Director of Mubadala Investment; Grace Fu, Minister of Sustainability and Environment of the Government of Singapore; Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), and founder and CEO of Kalimat Group; Engineer Aweidah Morshed Al Marar, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy; Francisco Lacamera, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); Maymouna Mohamed Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat; Noel Quinn, CEO of HSBC Holding Group; Lawrence Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock; and Dr Lucas Juba, CEO of Environmental Practices at Microsoft.

WAM