Experts have noted that the private sector is increasingly faciltiating innovation and sustainable solutions towards green post-pandemic economic recovery. Participating in the seventh World Green Economy Summit (WGES) on Wednesday, experts highlighted that the efforts towards green energy are witnessing positive results across the UAE and the Middle East region in line with ongoing global trends. Companies are also working on expanding and diversifying their efforts to fulfull their commitment to fight climate change.

This year, the World Green Economy Summit was held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at the Dubai Exhibition Centre during the Expo 2020.

The event coincided with the 23rd Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) and Dubai Solar Show. The seventh edition of the WGES saw the participation of several world leaders and officials from key sectors of green economy and sustainable development across the global.

Addressing the event, Philippe Diez, vice president, EMEA, Energy & Sustainability Services at Schneider Electric, stated that the sector is focusing on green technology in its post-COVID-19 activities and operations to ensure more action on climate change. Companies are increasingly calculating and analysing steps to reduce their carbon footprint and renewables as part of their climate change strategy.

As an international advisor to companies on agreements related to wind and solar energy, Schneider has been seeing a steady rise in requests on renewable energy from clients.

“Electricity is going to be a key source of energy for smart cities and the only way to make it sustainable is to look into green electricity solutions. Renewables are going to be the main source of electricity for energy providers, and we see their contribution increasing to around 50 percent by the year 2030. Not only is this good for the planet, but it is also economically viable," he added.

Furthermore, Alexandra Palt, chief corporate responsibility officer at L’Oreal, called on companies to work for their commitment towards sustainability. As societies are becoming increasingly aware of the need to fight climate change, it has become important for companies to respond to green economy-related expections of customers.

“Fighting climate change is the only way forward for all of us. If we do not fight climate change and biodiversity loss, then we will not have societies and environments in which we can operate," he said.

Fady Juez, managing director of Metito, underlined that the renewable energy industry has been accelerating at a “remarkable speed” over the past decade. In its latest report, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) noted that more than 260GW of renewable energy capacity was added in 2020 across the world, despite the challenges and economic disruptions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, over 80 percent of the new electricity capacity added was renewable while solar and wind accounted for 91 percent, according to the report.

“As the energy sector transforms to a greener model, there is a spillover effect on the water and wastewater industry,” he underscored.

With the changing environment and rise in population and industrialization, the need for clean and safe water has also increased exponentially in the Middle East. Therefore, in order to bridge the gap between supply and demand of water resources, experts suggested desalination to be the solution of choice. They noted that it has benefitted from the spillover effect in the past.

"This is especially true given that the process of desalination is quite energy intensive, making the implementation of green technologies of great value," he added.

At a time when world governments are boosting efforts to achieve water security, interest in hybrid projects in which both traditional and alternative energy sources are used in desalination has also increased.

“We are working on a number of projects throughout the MENA region to implement not just the most advanced technologies in the sector, but also coupling this with renewable energy - specifically solar. This guarantees the most innovative, sustainable and cost-effective solutions to our clients and in general the most shared value for all the relevant stakeholders," Juez said.

In conclusion, he expressed hope towards the continuity of the trend of adoption of renewable, eco-friendly technologies and energy beyond 2021.