Nation’s transition to green economy gathers pace

ABUDHABI: The UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), an Abu Dhabi-based think tank and accelerator supporting the nation’s transition to a green economy, hosted its first Policy Hack to create an enabling environment for electric mobility in the UAE.

Held in partnership with Peec Mobility, a Uae-grown start-up that supports the petrolto-electric transition of vehicles, this is the first in an ongoing series that will be hosted by UICCA.

Stakeholders from across the industry were invited to participate in the policy hack, including public sector representatives including Essa Abdulrahman Al Hashmi, Assistant Undersecretary, Sustainable Communities Sector, Acting Assistant Undersecretary, Green Development & Climate Change Sector, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

Atendees also included delegates from the Ministry of Economy, the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport, the Integrated Transport Centre - Abu Dhabi, National Taxi Dubai, Sharjah Road Transport Authority and Sharjah Asset Management.

The private sector was also represented by key players, such as Careem, Nomad Capital, Howden Insurance, Lloyds Bank, and the EST Lab Energy Center from the University Politecnico di Torino.

Sheikha Shamma Bint Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President & CEO of UICCA, in her opening remarks said, “The UICCA is on track to becoming the driving force that is supporting start-ups as they scale their businesses. By facilitating connections with potential partners, creating access to suitable funding mechanisms or advocating for policy change, we believe it is vital to work hand in hand with the innovations we are accelerating. My hope is that this Policy Hack will pave the way for open dialogue and the sharing of ideas with clear and considered outcomes that can help us build a roadmap that will allow businesses, such as Peec Mobility, to thrive.”

The Policy Hack provided a plaform for industry participants to discuss and explore ideas on how to approach the repurposing of existing petrol vehicles as an effective and sustainable alternative to purchasing brand new electric vehicles.

Zach Faizal, Founder of Peec Mobility, added, “Our partnership with the UICCA is a testament to UAE’S vision of being a global leader in sustainability. It was my honour and great privilege for Peec Mobility to have been selected as the first start up to begin the policy hack series chaired by Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President & CEO of UICCA.