Abu Dhabi: The world is reaching a historic milestone in managing carbon emissions, a top energy official said in the capital.
Mohamed bin Zayed honors winners of the Zayed Future Energy Prize 2017 during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
— أخبار محمد بن زايد (@MBZNews) January 16, 2017
With a number of world leaders, Mohamed bin Zayed inaugurates 10th edition of WFES during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017— أخبار محمد بن زايد (@MBZNews) January 16, 2017
“For the first time in the industrial age, carbon emissions are levelling off and even starting to drop. This is an achievement of historic proportions,” said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and chairman of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company.
“In this new era, renewable energies and hydrocarbons enjoy a truly symbiotic relationship. While some may see the world divided between new and traditional, we believe that both sectors must work hand in hand,” he added.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2017, which was held in the capital on Monday. Hosted by Masdar, the events of the week include the World Future Energy Summit, the International Water Summit, and the Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy among others.
The event was opened by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Nursultan Nazarbayev, president of Kazakhstan, and other dignitaries attended the event.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed emphasised that the UAE, under leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is continuing in the footsteps of the framework set by the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who put the UAE on the path for achieving sustainable development, and economic and social prosperity through this award, which carries the late UAE founder’s name.
Shaikh Mohammad said that today we celebrate the success of a vision by working on rationalising energy and water on a wider scale to include more people around the world. He said that this will help offer more opportunities to boost levels of education, health, women empowerment, supporting children and the needy all around the world.
Shaikh Mohammad added that the aspirations and efforts of Zayed Future Energy Prize, as well as the way it strives to encourage others to extend a hand and empower others around the world, complements the humanitarian dimension of the Year of Giving initiative, which was launched by Shaikh Khalifa.
Shaikh Mohammad praised the efforts of the winners, which include individuals, institutions and schools. He said that these efforts embody the meaning of generosity as they strive to achieve a positive impact, innovation, leadership and a long-term vision to thwart current challenges and seize future opportunities.
“Within the last 40 years, the production of energy increased by 250 per cent, while carbon emissions in the last century were four times higher than in all past periods with human civilisation. We urgently need [the active development and deployment of] safe energy that shall not increase global temperatures by more than two degrees Celsius,” Nazarbayev said.
On a positive note, Dr Al Jaber said that the cost of wind energy has decreased by one-third while the cost of solar has already fallen by half.
More than 35,000 people are expected to attend the events of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week until January 21, including its conferences, forums, workshops and craft fair.
