HE Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment has announced that the UAE is now the first member of the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO).
HE Al Zeyoudi added: “‘A Green Economy for Sustainable Development’ initiative launched in 2012 and Green Agenda 2015-2030 set the course for our economic growth ambitions, social development priorities and environmental sustainability goals.”
“The advancement of the UAE’s green economy efforts couldn’t have been made without the strong support from the UN and relevant international organisations. Most notably, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP), the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA),”
Dr. Zeyoudi added.
“I am confident that through WGEO, we will have significant impact on knowledge and experience sharing which would help to overcome common challenges and to ensure successful achievement of our common green economy goals,” Dr. Zeyoudi added.
Dr. Zeyoudi made these remarks during the announcement of the global launch of WGEO at the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) in Marrakech, Morocco.
On his part, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Directors, World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO) and Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, has stated that WGEO, which was launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai at the 3rd World Green Economy Summit in Dubai, will support the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and increase global awareness on climate change to enhance the shift towards a green economy.
The announcement was attended by HE Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Advisor to the UAE President, HE Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, HE Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, HE Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), HE Suhail Matar Al Ketbi, the UAE Ambassador in Morocco, Mohammed Abunayyan, Chairman, ACWA Power, and representatives of the UN agencies, the public and private sectors, financial institutions, non-profit-organisations, and civil society organisations.
“It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the global announcement of the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO). This great initiative, came under the wise vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as an international organisation during the third World Green Economy Summit (WGES) in Dubai on 5 October 2016 and it is supported by the UAE and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). I would like to thank the United Nations for its pioneering role in raising global awareness about climate change,” said Al Tayer.
“Launching WGEO at this time reflects the relentless efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. WGEO will also play an instrumental role in mitigating climate change, as it serves as a mechanism for generating new solutions for sustainable energy, water and other environmental challenges, thereby lowering the risk of green economy investments, and supporting international cooperation in innovation, technology and finance. As Dubai is emerging as a global hub for green economy, we are celebrating today the announcement of the global launch of the WGEO and I would like to take this opportunity to give you a glimpse into the efforts of the UAE to become a green economy,” he added.
“To meet the environmental challenges facing most countries in the world and to spread a culture of sustainability, we must have a global movement towards a green economy. These principles are firmly embedded within the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 for clean energy to provide 7% of Dubai’s total power output by 2020, rising to 25% by 2030, and 75% by 2050. The strategy consists of five main pillars: infrastructure, legislation, funding, building capacities and skills, and an environmentally-friendly energy mix. The strategy is underpinned by an expected investment of USD13 billion in the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the largest single-site solar park in the world, with a planned capacity of 5,000 megawatts by 2030,” he added.
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