In the presence of HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and Chairman of the World Green Economy Summit (WGES), DEWA organized, in collaboration with Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (DCCE) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a ceremony to honor organizations and departments that contributed to achieving and sponsoring the State of Green Economy Report 2016, at Raffles Hotel, Dubai.

The State of Green Economy 2016 was presented to the international audience during the events of the World Climate Summit in Paris in December 2015. The State of Green Economy Report is the first published knowledge product that shares best practices. Through the establishment of initiatives that motivate innovation, it serves the greater good of humanity. The Report also sheds the light on policies through which the United Arab Emirates aims to transform into a model of Green Economy.

During the ceremony, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA and Chairman of the World Green Economy Summit, honored sponsors and participants in the Report.

The ceremony was attended by Her Excellency Eng. Fatima Al Foora Al Shamsi, the Ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary for Electricity, Clean Energy and Desalinated Water Affairs, HE Ahmed Bin Byat, Chief Executive Officer Dubai Holding, HE Ahmed Butti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the DSCE, HE Abdullah Bin Kalban, Managing Director and CEO of Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA), Ahmad Bin Shafar, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (EMPOWER), HE Marwan Abdulaziz, Executive Director, Dubai Science Park, HE Mohammad Abdullah Abunayyan, Chairman of the Board of ACWA POWER, Obaid Salem Al Shamsi, Assistant Director General for General Support, Dubai Municipality, senior officials of the DSCE, DEWA, and DCCE.

His Excellency extended thanks and appreciation to participants in the Report for their continuous efforts in supporting the United Arab Emirates transition to a green and sustainable economy. “Through your valuable contribution to the State of Green Economy Report 2016, you have shown continuous support in realizing the Vision of a Green Economy for Dubai. The State of Green Economy was presented to the international audience during the events of the World Climate Summit in Paris in December 2015. This Report is the first published knowledge product that shares best practices. Through the establishment of initiatives that motivate innovation, it serves the greater good of humanity. The Report also sheds the light on policies through which the United Arab Emirates aims to transform into a model of Green Economy. This implies following the guidance of our leadership in achieving growth and development while reaching 24% of clean energy by 2021, and minimizing the ecological impact,” Said His Excellency.

“The UAE has submitted it’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, hand-in-hand with the other participating countries. By this, the UAE confirm its dedication to combating climate change through increasing the share of renewable energy. Furthermore, the Carbon Abatement Strategy, launched by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy aims to reducing Greenhouse Gas Emission by 16% by 2020,” said His Excellency.

The State of Green Economy 2016 was complimentary to the launch of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. The Strategy was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and aims at transforming Dubai into an international hub for clean renewable energy and green economy. The objective of this ambitious strategy is to save 7% of Dubai’s energy resources by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050.

“The process of financing the transition to a low-carbon economy requires precise and accurate implementation of all governmental policies. Therefore, the infrastructure pillar of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 includes the establishment of the “Dubai Green Zone”, a free-zone specialized in attracting research and development centers and emerging companies in the field of clean and renewable energy. On the other hand, the third pillar of the strategy aims at finding financing solutions for all the R&D’s connected to clean energy and its applications. Therefore, enlisted under this pillar is the establishment of “Dubai Green Fund”, with a value of up to 100 Billion Dirhams, which will facilitate financing tools for investors in the field of clean energy in Dubai,” added His Excellency.

“The firm commitment and continuous support of our wise leadership has had immense contribution in addressing environmental issues while integrating them in the development plans of the Emirate. Therefore, Dubai has taken advanced steps in resolving issues in energy security and efficiency, rationalizing consumption, and improving demand efficiency as major components of sustainable development plans. The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 paints a clear picture of the upcoming three decades in the energy sector in Dubai. The establishment of a sustainable energy saving model that compliments the economic development directly contributes to dealing with the environmental challenges the world is facing,” continued His Excellency.

“The State of Green Economy Report 2016 sheds the light on the concrete steps facilitating the integration of other sectors in the transition to a green economy. The report acts as a road map towards establishing certified models in line with the needs of the market. It also highlights the reduction of carbon emissions in the energy sector, encourages all sectors to adopt energy efficiency, consolidates valuable information for all decision makers, and reflects our efforts in building a sustainable future. This Report is a reference when it comes to best practices and successful business models as it focuses on innovative achievements, inspiring alternatives and new opportunities,” said His Excellency.

The report also addresses the UAE’s efforts to promote green growth by creating 160 thousand new job opportunities. This will ensure the flow of the benefits of green development and strengthen the relationship between sustainable development and happiness. The Report also addresses the specific educational requirements that are necessary for establishing the databases for green jobs and aims to establish a connection between the educational and industrial sectors for a better understanding of the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise. Moreover, the strong momentum that we are witnessing in the energy sector, led by the Government and accelerated by EXPO2020, is considered a main pillar in fast-tracking green development in the areas of renewable energy, building retrofitting and green manufacturing.

“The State of Green Economy Report provides an overall perspective of the initiatives that encourages innovation, fast-tracking the green transition process, as well as the UAE’s relentless endeavors to promote its position as a global model and hub for green economy. It also sheds light on the role of partnerships between both public and private sectors that plays a key role in developing and implementing the green initiatives in all sectors to ensure resilient transition towards green economy,” said Eng. Waleed Salman, Chairman of DCCE.

HE Saeed Al Tayer and Eng. Waleed Salman honored the organizations and Departments, which sponsored and participated in the Report, namely UAE Ministry of Energy, DSCE, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Holding, DP World, Dubai FDI, Dubai Health Authority, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UAE Water Aid (Suqia), Dubai Science Park, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (EMPOWER), ACWA Power, ENGIE, Pajero, and Cummins Middle East.

The State of Green Economy Report was prepared through the participation of several public and private organizations and departments, including Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Carbon Centre of excellence (DCCE), in collaboration with the UNDP.

During the ceremony the official hashtag of the Report (#GER16) was launched on Twitter.