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Key achievement for dubai in sustainability & green development as 2015 carbon ambassadors programme students graduate at WETEX 2015

Dubai, UAE, 23 April, 2015. Emirati University students enrolled under the Carbon Ambassador Programme, have taken a huge step towards furthering green economy and low carbon development in the UAE. The first batch of graduates, who are an ambitious group of Emirati college students, has achieved a distinguished project, creating self-sustainable bus stops in an effort to inspire a more environmentally sustainable way of life in the UAE.

In a video message for the opening ceremony of the World Green Economy Summit, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, applauded the United Nations Development Programme, and Dubai Carbon, for launching the Carbon Ambassador Programme. He said that the initiative supports young people in understanding climate change, sustainability and energy efficiency. Ban Ki Moon expressed how deeply impressed he was by the participants he met in the UAE last February. He said that the Programme shows how empowered young people can make a difference in society and that the UN will continue to support the programme.

The students were honoured by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, and HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, and Chairman of World Green Economy Summit, at the opening ceremony of World Green Economy Summit 2015. “These students have shown promising potential and proved that they can take the responsibilities given to them within this programme, which supports the future direction towards a green economy. We commend them for their work in sustainability and I would like to see more initiatives of this nature follow,” said Al Tayer.

The projects that the students have developed were showcased alongside the achievements of major companies at the Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2015). “These students represent the first step in revolutionising the frame of mind of the current youth and future generations. Our country is progressively venturing into sustainable energy and such initiatives serve to prepare the youth of the nation,” said Waleed Salman, Chairman of Dubai Carbon.

“It is an absolute honour to be part of the future of this country. We hope to be actively associated in this endeavour in the future,” said Nabil Battal, Director of Global Safety and Environment, DP World.

The graduating class of students has set the bar high, with the success of the ambitious project. The batch of 2016, which was welcomed by the outgoing class of 2015, will continue to work under the directives of the programme.

This would have not been possible without the vision and support of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, which actively seeks ways to educate the next generations about energy and climate change.

The sustainable bus stop project has been made possible thanks to the joint efforts of BuroHappold Engineering, International Humanitarian City, Consolidated Constructions Company (CCC) and CH2M Hill. Their contribution in different ways was the key driver for the success of the programme, from providing the empty containers, to the intelligence and manpower to build them.