Al Tayer: UAE working to build green economy
204-page State of the Green Economy Report 2018 offers insights on new economic structure
Anew State of the Green Economy Report 2018 released on the last of the two-day World Green Economy Summit on Wednesday will help guide the UAE and other countries to a new economic structure growing around the world, said organisers.
The 204-page booklet, containing environmental updates and forward-looking pieces by numerous personalities in environmental, energy and government sectors, is being released for the first time.
The first World Green Economy Report 2018, ‘Inspiring Innovations in Business, Finance and Policy,’ has been prepared in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
This year’s summit, under the theme “Driving innovation, leading change,” was organised by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO), in cooperation with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.
In remarks during the launch of the report, Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and MD and CEO of Dewa, said Dubai and the UAE are doing all they can to brace for the new green economy.
“The Paris climate agreement and the UN Sustainable ■ Development Goals 2030 clearly demonstrate the transition to low carbon economy implores us to reshape our policies for production, distribution and consumption,” Al Tayer said.
Panelist Aris Vrettos, director, International Programs, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, said the green report is timely given some are still “wondering if climate change is happening. The debate over the green economy is over – it’s here.”
Predictions
Speaking to predictions that up to 65 million new jobs will be created in years to come, the new green economy, he said, will need more skills. “Green education will be more critical in achieving the green economy in the next decade.”
Panelist Dr Kishan Khoday, team leader in the Arab region, Climate Change, DRR and Resilience, Sustainable Energy and the Environment, United Nations Development Programme, said his organisation was proud to be a partner in the green report. Dr Khoday said the new report “does a great job highlighting some of the key trends going on around the world.”