The start of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week: "united on climate action"
This week, from January 14 to 19, the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) will convene heads of state, policymakers, industry leaders, investors, youth, and entrepreneurs. If you are interested in sustainability, renewable energy, climate action, and the planet, you can follow many ADSW events this week online. It's what I will do, and I will share what I learned via this newsletter and social media. It will be a week of impactful dialogues on the critical priorities for sustainable development, including the transition to a net-zero future.
Sustainable solutions
If anyone needs reminders about the urgency of this transition, you only have to read the news. Today, the devastation in California made the headlines, but tomorrow it will be elsewhere. Maybe in the country where you live, and more likely, there will be weather extremes tomorrow in countries that don't usually get much media attention. But wherever we live, we have all seen in the past few years that climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are no longer disasters that will play out either far away or in a far future; they are here and now, and the annual, week-long focus of world leaders for sustainable solutions in Abu Dhabi is a key event to exchange ideas, promote change and agree on action.
And if anyone needs a reminder that we shouldn't give up hope, read the UN report published this week about the hole in the ozone layer. Readers my age and older will remember how much we feared in the 1990s the destruction of this layer that protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. However, there is excellent news: the ozone hole is predicted to completely heal over most of the world within two decades and some years later on the poles. This fantastic turnaround of our planet's fortunes was possible because governments listened to scientists, involved all stakeholders, and were willing to work together towards a common goal.
Bringing key stakeholders together
Solutions like this, where science, NGOs, corporations, and governments find consensus, ask from all sides for a willingness to compromise for a common goal. And a first requirement to reach an agreement is to listen to each other and understand the positions of the others involved. It also requires knowledge sharing about the challenges as well as the solutions. And for that, we need gatherings of vital stakeholders like the ADSW, where global challenges can be addressed through inclusive engagement. Like in previous years, the ADSW brings together heads of state, policymakers, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and youth to discuss, engage and debate climate action and innovations that will ensure a sustainable world.
Youth
I have written about the importance of involving youth in climate action; many kids have shown worldwide in Friday school strikes how much they are worried about the climate crisis. ADSW 2023 will also seek to engage youth in climate action, with its Youth for Sustainability platform holding the Y4S Hub, which aims to attract 3,000 young people. ADSW 2023 will also feature the annual forum for Masdar's Women in Sustainability, Environment, and Renewable Energy (WiSER) platform, giving women a greater voice in the sustainability debate.
United on Climate Action Toward COP28
Although the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week is a global initiative that has taken place annually since it was established in 2008 by the UAE and its clean energy powerhouse Masdar, it holds a special significance in 2023 since the UAE will also host United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) from November 30-December 12. Therefore, this year's theme of the ADSW is 'United on Climate Action Toward COP28,' and this week's meeting will thus drive discussions and debates around climate action in the run-up to the climate summit in November.
Green Hydrogen Summit
ADSW 2023 will feature a Green Hydrogen Summit hosted by Masdar's green hydrogen business for the first time, highlighting its potential to decarbonize key industries – helping countries achieve their net-zero objectives.
Key dates for ADSW 2023 include:
14 – 15 January: IRENA Assembly, Atlantic Council Energy Forum
January 16: Opening Ceremony, COP28 Strategy Announcement, and Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony, ADSW Summit
16 – 18 January: World Future Energy Summit, Youth 4 Sustainability Hub, Innovate
January 17: WiSER Forum
January 18: Green Hydrogen Summit and Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum
To learn more about Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and to register, please visit: https://abudhabisustainabilityweek.com/
I find this a helpful link if you can't follow the live broadcasts. You can just listen shortly after an event or discussion, watch the videos at your leisure, and stop and return to them when you need a break. https://adsw.live/all-videos
For more information visit: http://www.masdar.ae and connect: facebook.com/masdar.ae, twitter.com/masdar and twitter.com/ADSWagenda
Thank you for keeping us apprised of this very important information!
I still want to catch up with some speeches but I discovered Asian and Arabic intentions and I’m impressed. I hope some planet saving projects will soon be realized. Thanks for your infos and commitment for planet,nature and it’s denizens.