Speakers included Adnan Amin, Director General of IRENA, Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other international experts in energy sustainability and the environment. The session was moderated by Pilita Clark, Environment Correspondent at The Financial Times.
The Carbon Ambassadors also took part in Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the global forum that brings together leaders and decision makers to address challenges to renewable energy and sustainable development.
“At DEWA, we realise that young people are the driving force for building a greener future by involving them in achieving the goals of the sustainable development. The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow, who will play a key role in decision-making at all levels. This is the goal of the Carbon Ambassadors Programme, which DEWA sponsors as per the United Nations Development Programme’s criteria and with the support of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Carbon Ambassadors are the next generation of leaders and experts who will implement ambitious National strategies and plans as well as contribute to innovating new initiatives and programmes. They will help achieve the UAE Vision 2021, to make the UAE one of the best countries in the world by 2021, the Dubai Plan 2021, to make Dubai sustainable with its resources and make its environmental elements clean, healthy, and sustainable, and the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, to reduce energy demand by 30%,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
“In 2015, the world made steady progress in sustainability issues. Some of the achievements include the Sustainable Development Agenda, and the Paris Agreement on climate change, which will further enhance the sustainable development. DEWA sent the Carbon Ambassadors to FT-IRENA Question Time Debate and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, to gain new knowledge and experience, and discuss renewable and sustainable energy issues with international experts. DEWA provides all the necessary requirements to support our youth. This underlines our commitment towards the sustainable development, and its role in contributing to a greener future for our country and the rest of the world,” added Al Tayer.
“DEWA encourages creativity by providing the necessary tools and training programmes that contribute to the growth of cognitive and innovative abilities.
We provide all the necessary capabilities for the success of the Carbon Ambassadors programme to engage young people in environmental and sustainability issues. This is achieved by engaging the students in activities, training courses, and workshops on sustainability, climate change, and the environment,” said Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at DEWA.
DEWA has doubled the number of students in the second batch of the Carbon Ambassadors Programme 2015-2016 to 80 students. The first batch of the programme achieved a remarkable success. They completed an innovative project to create self-sustainable bus stops from out-of-service shipping containers to spread awareness of environmental issues and encourages UAE residents to adopt an environmentally sustainable way of life. The graduates’ projects were displayed alongside the achievements of large companies at the Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2015).
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