2020 should be the start of a ‘decade of action’ to enable the world to work together to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, UAE ministers and senior business leaders declared ahead of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
The 17 SDGs were adopted by all UN member states as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the UN has called for a “decade of ambitious action” to deliver the Goals by 2030. Achieving targets set under the SDGs could open up $12trn of market opportunities worldwide, and create 380mn jobs, according to estimates, with as many as 12.4 million jobs generated in the Middle East and North Africa region by 2030.
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: “Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week presents to the world a shining example of the UAE’s active involvement in tackling the challenges faced by the international community – an approach that reflects the visionary commitment of our leaders to spearheading the way to a cleaner and better tomorrow.”
“Recognizing that young people help fuel our sustainability drive, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment will host the Climate Innovations Exchange – CLIX – as part of its engagements during ADSW 2020. CLIX connects entrepreneurs and investors to deliver sustainable climate solutions. The event has marked year-on-year growth of 67 per cent in applications and 54 per cent in participating countries,” he concluded.
“The UAE is aligned with the global sustainability agenda and is committed to being a regional leader in sustainable development, as evidenced by our hosting of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week,” said Dr Sultan bin Ahmad Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar. “ADSW brings together global leaders and policymakers from a wide range of fields to address sustainability and explore how we can work together to leverage digital transformation and other technological trends to make a better world for all of us.”
Commenting on the role of energy in accelerating sustainable development, His Excellency Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, said: “Energy is at the heart of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and this is why we are proud of our principal partnership with ADSW 2020. This catalyst platform not only cements Abu Dhabi’s position as a global capital of sustainability, but it brings together all the different sectors and associated programmes to bind efforts and boost efficiencies in shaping a sustainable future.
“This year’s ADSW theme ‘accelerating sustainable development’ is timely and important as it emphasises the need to capitalize on digitization and emerging technologies and to prioritize our actions to reduce environmental footprint. It resonates with the DoE’s drive to accelerate Abu Dhabi’s energy transition to enable economic growth, security of supply and environmental sustainability. We are committed to making the 2020 edition of ADSW yet another success and we look forward to meeting industry stakeholders and interacting with our young leaders and community members to involve them in our journey towards a new energy era that enables sustainable growth and a cleaner, healthier living environment.”
