WGEO to further accelerate ‘Green Economy’ agenda in coming days

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

The World Green Economy organisation (WGEO), recently held its first Platforms Council Meeting to review the successes and achievements of the Private Sector, Academia & Youth and Cities platforms.

The meeting focused on the respective sectors’ strategic priorities, business plans and activities for 2021, aimed at further accelerating the Green economy agenda in the coming period.

The Regional Collaboration Centre for Middle East, North Africa and South Asia based in Dubai (RCC Dubai), an organisation established by the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat in partnership with WGEO, also presented its accomplishments and upcoming programmes.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman, WGEO, chaired the meeting in the presence of Waleed Salman, Vice Chairman, WGEO; Abdulrahim Sultan, Director-General, WGEO; Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman, Private Sector Platform and Chairman of ACWA Power; Dr. Eesa Bastaki, Chairman, Academia & Youth Platform and President of the University of Dubai; Marwan Bin Haidar, Chairman, Cities Platform and Executive VP Innovation & The Future, DEWA ; James Grabert, Director, Mitigation Division, Acting Director, Communication and Engagement Division of UNFCCC Secretariat, and Muhammad Taimur, Regional Lead of RCC Dubai.

“The first Platforms Council meeting provided an update to the Governing Board of the World Green Economy organisation on achievements by the respective platforms and the key targets and activities they intend to implement and meet in the near future. It was clear in the discussion that there is an urgency to mobilise and support the private sector through action-oriented activities to facilitate the transition to a Green economy, emphasising the importance of key organisations stepping forward to engage in stronger collaborations that will advance climate action initiatives and lead to greater results supporting the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Most importantly, there is a strong need to act fast and be agile to increase the momentum for action and strengthen goal-oriented partnerships among forward-looking institutions, ensuring the best in class are brought to the table to provide insight and expertise,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman, WGEO.

The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) is one of the leading global forums in the green economy, bringing together world-class experts from around the world to directly focus on advancing the global green economy and sustainability agenda.

The summit, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was organised by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) and World Green Economy Organisation, in cooperation with Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Wetex.

In line with the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership, and with EXPO 2020, the 6th World Green Economy Summit (WGES) has focused on three main pillars: Sustainable Development Mechanisms; International Cooperation to support the Green Economy System; and Adoption of Green Innovative Solutions.

The first pillar was “Towards Sustainable Development” in which WGES has looked at the steps taken towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs), especially across the private sector, which is a main partner in sustainable development.

Policymakers and sustainability experts have identified the biggest barriers to this transition and looked at ways to increase clean energy, waste management and water access in developing countries.

The second pillar was “International Cooperation Towards a Green Economy System”. The dialogue that took place in the summit highlighted the importance of global cooperation in creating a global green ecosystem, and the policies that could facilitate such collaborative work. They explored the ideal international climate that is needed, with a focus on promoting sustainable development through trade liberalisation, providing financial resources to developing countries, and dealing with international debt.

The final pillar was “Adoption of Green Innovative Solutions” where we looked at ways in which businesses can use innovation as a tool to enable sustainable development. Environmental experts, technologists and business leaders have shared their thoughts on how to spur innovation in the commercial sphere and how to scale existing innovations across industries and markets.