WGES 2018DRIVING GLOBALPROSPERITY24th - 25th October, 2018 Dubai International Conventionand Exhibition Center.

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Table of Contents

TABLE OFCONTENTS

Foreword Top Line Figures0704

Engineering a Better World : The Technologyof Repairing the Future

Launch of the 2018 World GreenEconomy Report : Inspiring Innovationsin Business, Finance and Policy

The Green Bond Market and ‘‘Greenwashing’’

Green Talk With Jason Drew

Plenary Session 5

Emirates EnergyAward Announcement

DubaiDeclaration 2018

Gallery

Plenary Session 3

DAY TWO

56

China’s Clean Energy StrategyPlenary Session 460

64

68

70

Sponsors & Partners72

74

52

World Expos – Inspiring through Collaboration

Celebrating the EnvironmentalLegacy and Leadership of the LateSheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Parallel Session 1A

Parallel Session 1B

30

Opening Ceremony26

Creating the Future Through a Circular EconomyParallel Session 2A38

The Green Economy and Disruptive Technologies Parallel Session 2B42

Examining the CLIX Modelfor the Young Green Entrepreneurs

Youth Engagement46

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DAY ONE

Dubai’s Leap into a Green Economy

Former President of France

Plenary Session 1

One On One Convesation with François Hollande

10

14

Former Secretary General of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Green Talk With Christina Figueres19

Driving the Green Economy in the National Agenda Plenary Session 222

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Foreword

FOREWORD

The United Arab Emirates is committed to becoming a world leader in sustainable development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the United Nations 2030 agenda.The UAE has made tremendous progress over several years, launching numerous initiatives such as the UAE National Climate Change Plan 2050. Dubai aims to generate 75% of its power from clean energy, and also aims to reduce energy and water consumption by 20% by 2020 and by 30% by 2030. In addition, Dubai has launched the Shams Dubai solar energy scheme, MBR Solar Park - the largest single-site solar park in the world -and many more renewable energy initiatives such EV Green Charger, which has installed 200 charging stations for electrical vehicles across the emirate.

The World Green Economy Summit, now in its fifth year, focused on three main pillars that will advance the green economy agenda.

H.E Saeed Mohammad Al TayerManaging Director and CEO, Dubai Electricityand Water AuthorityChairman, World Green Economy Organization Chairman, World Green Economy Summit

The first was Green Capital, which was widely discussed at this year’s summit. This coincided with the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) signing a partnership agreement in Dubai in October 2018 to fast-track green investments into bankable smart city projects.

The second pillar was Digital Transformation. The summit captured various insights, highlighting the importance of adopting rapid technological changes to support the green economy , such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, crypto currencies, blockchain, robotics, machine learning, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT).

The final pillar was focused on leadership and social engagement. Participants highlighted the need for effective leadership in the public and private sectors to accelerate the transition to a green economy. This could be achieved by introducing progressive policies and incentives, influencing individual behaviour and consumption patterns, and raising environmental awareness. Delegates also agreed that sustainable development must be inclusive and that it requires the full commitment of public and private sector leaders.

The Summit serves to voice and spread messages reflecting the key trends and paths in green economy and helps outline strategies for attaining sustainable development. It also helps to expand the green transition to all countries through enhancing cooperation, exchange of green growth models and mobilizing innovative green finance. As highlighted in the World Green Economy Report, that was commissioned by the World Green Economy Organization and launched at the Summit, it is important for policy makers to remove barriers for trade and investment in order to enable private capital and green innovative technologies to benefit the countries.

The Summit outcomes reflect that both poverty reduction and the preservation of environment should be in the focus of the efforts aimed at linking finance, technology, capacity building and other elements of the enabling environment for a green economy, so as to ensure sustaining economic growth, enhancing social inclusion, improving human welfare and creating employment opportunities, while maintaining a balanced functioning of the planet’s ecosystems, and preventing the serious negative implications of environmental degradation on human health and welfare.

In the spirit of the Summit’s outcomes, we reaffirm our engagement and continue to make progress in developing the green economy. I hope you find the outcomes of the 5th annual World Green Economy Summit informative and useful.

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SPEAKERS REGIONAL REPRESENTATION

TOP LINE FIGURES

Delegates

3,500Volunteers

21Sessions

13Media Partners

13Media

151

10

OTHERS

14

EUROPE

13

ASIA

Diplomats

184VIP

847Speakers

49Organisers

146Sponsors

17

63% % % %

MENA

Top Line Figures

98

WGES 2018

OCTOBER 24, 2018

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Dubai’s Leap into a Green Economy PLENARY SESSION 1

Session OverviewWith its infrastructure rapidly developing to cater to an estimated 20 million international visitors by 2020 and a population that is expected to double by 2027, Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. This swift urban growth, however, has created several challenges – from a rising demand for energy, water and food imports, to traffic congestion and pollution. How will Dubai transform itself into a sustainable metropolis? This session looked at the city’s most dynamic initiatives and their outcomes to date – from lowering carbon emissions to improving air quality and increasing recycling volumes. It will examined how Expo 2020 Dubai will carve a greener path for the UAE’s most populous emirate.

Summary PointsThe Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has taken various measures to reduce its fleet’s emissions.

Half the RTA’s taxi fleet will be hybrid vehicles by 2021.

Autonomous car technology is still immature and needs appropriate legislation to be in place.

A breakthrough in green mobility is expected by 2020, when every auto supplier and manufacturer will embrace these types of vehicles.

Dubai may be a small city in global terms, but it is at the forefront of green mobility innovations thanks to following through on its policies with actual implementation.

RecommendationsUsing autonomous cars would have provide enormous benefits, including improving safety and connectivity, reducing lowering pollution, reducing lowering costs, and freeingup parking space.

Conventional energy suppliers have to must think of ways to re-invent themselves as an industry as cities move gradually transition to clean energy.

From a government perspective, requiring a minimum percentage of all new vehicle procurement to be electric vehicles is an excellent way to increase the use of this mode of transport.

Incentives such as free parking and fee waivers for electric car owners is a great way to encourage the public to use them.

Moderator Panelists

Nicki Shields

Host Presenter,Anchor & Pit-lane reporter

UK

Dr. Waddah S. Ghanem Al Hashmi

Senior DirectorSustainability, Operational

& Business ExcellenceEmirates National Oil

Company (ENOC) LLC LtdUAE

H.E. Ahmad Al Muhairbi

Secretary General,Dubai Supreme Council

of Energy, UAE

Nasser AbuShehab

CEO of Strategy andCorporate Governance, Roads & Transport Authority (RTA),

UAE

Plenary Session 1

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The transportation sector is one of the largest producers of greenhouse gases, which are released from burning fossil fuels for to power our cars, buses, trucks, ships, trains, and airplanes. The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has been working on reducing the sector’s footprint by developing more efficient modes of transport.

RTA INITIATIVES

Perhaps its greatest initiative is the Dubai Metro, which began services in September 2009 and is the world’s longest fully automated driverless metro system. Nearly 200 million passengers journeys were completed on Dubai Metro in 2017, said Nasser Abu Shehab, CEO of Strategy and Corporate Governance at the RTA.

Dubai Metro has made a huge contribution to shifting people from private to public transportation, which has eased traffic congestion and cut emissions by 935 tonnes of carbon dioxide per day.

In addition, all seven stations in the Metro’s extension to the Expo 2020 site – known as RTA Route 2020 - will be LEED Gold certified, which is the world’s most widely used green building rating system.

In traffic transportation, all RTA buses are Euro 4 and Euro 5 emissions standard- the highest possible rating is Euro 6. The RTA has used these standards since 2008 and was the first transport authority in the region to do so. It is also planning to introduce Euro 6 buses in 2019. According to Abu Shehab, these engines can help reduce harmful emissions by thousands of tonnes.

As for taxis, RTA expects hybrid vehicles to constitute half its fleet by 2021. The authority has already added 50 Tesla electric taxis to its fleet in order to support green mobility in Dubai, and plans to acquire a further 150 by 2019. With regards to water taxi services, in 2017, RTA introduced 17 electric abra (boat) taxis, saving 440,000 litres of fuel and eliminating about 830 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

INCENTIVIZING ELECTRIC VEHICLES

H.E. Ahmad Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, said it had launched a green mobility project which requires government entities to ensure that 10 percent of their annual vehicle purchases are green vehicles including hybrids. The initiative started two years ago, and government entities have so far bought 4,000 electric vehicles, with RTA the leading purchaser .

To support this change, DEWA installed 200 charging stations in addition to those installed by vehicle suppliers. The Dubai Supreme Council of

Energy has also embarked on an incentive plan for green mobility introducing free charging at DEWA charging stations. RTA also offers free registration, free parking, and a free Salik tag for electric vehicle owners. Salik is Dubai’s automated road toll system; electric vehicles must still pay the toll.

“Our ultimate objective is to reach 10 percent by 2030 in green mobility; that’s equivalent to almost 270,000 cars. Green mobility is picking pace and we expect to see a breakthrough by 2020, meaning that every vehicle supplier and manufacturer is going to embrace those cars. The objective of Dubai is to have the minimum carbon emissions and become the cleanest city by 2050,” said Al Muhairbi.

On the concept of autonomous cars, also known as driverless or self-driving vehicles, he said the technology is not sufficiently mature and has its challenges. For example, legislation is required to regulate autonomous transport, but no government has introduced this kind of legislation.

Nevertheless, Dubai has a clear strategy for autonomous cars and aims for a quarter of transportation in the city to be by autonomous vehicles by 2030. A study shows the benefits of adopting such a transport mode., with safety levels improved by 12 percent by 2030 because most accidents are caused by human error. It would also increase efficiency by 20 percent, connectivity by 30 percent, free up 50 percent of parking spaces, reduce the cost of transportation by 44 percent and decrease pollution by 12 percent.

RE-INVENTING ENERGY SUPPLY

Ultimately, it’s not just a question of policy but also implementation, noted Dr. Waddah Ghanem Al Hashmi, Senior Director for Sustainability, Operational & Business Excellence at Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC). That is why Dubai can be a driving force in the global green economy. Although a relatively small entity from a global context, the emirate is driving implementation of green transport solutions.

“At ENOC, we are trying to supply the cleanest possible products with the latest standards. We are an energy company, and we believe in practicing what we preach. Therefore, in all our new retail stations today, and our future stations, we are sourcing all the power demand - in terms of refrigeration, pumps, and compressors - from solar energy. In fact, we designed the stations so that we would have 30% surplus (energy), which would be fed back into the grid,” explained Al Hashmi.

“As a conventional energy supplier, we have a big

challenge. We have to re-invent ourselves eventually as an industry. In the meantime, we need to bear in mind that we have a huge amount of infrastructure that is supplying energy in a conventional way and it’s going to continue for the years to come. Gas is going to replace a lot of the liquid fuel demand,” said Al Hashmi.

He explained that Dubai was supporting the circular economy in many ways, most prominently through Expo 2020, whose team is examining how

it can best repurpose equipment and material after the event finishes. This could include re-imagining material for creative endeavours, donating items to those in need, and recycling what remains.

“What we find quite fascinating about the Expo 2020 is that (we’ve) started with the end in mind. It’s not about building the Expo but creating a legacy and thinking of what’s going to happen after the delivery of the event,” concluded Al Hashmi.

The objective of Dubai is to havethe minimum carbon emissions and become

the cleanest city by 2050H.E. Ahmad Al Muhairbi,

Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy

Plenary Session 1 Plenary Session 1

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ONE ON ONE CONVESATION Session OverviewFrance made big strides towards sustainability during Francoise Hollande’s presidency from 2012-17. It was under his leadership that the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, with over 180 countries now having ratified this landmark commitment. Even before the Paris accord, Hollande strongly supported environmentally-friendly policies. In 2014, he announced that Paris would contribute up to $1 billion to the United Nations’’s Green Climate Fund, which helps poorer nations finance climate-change reform. A year later, he proposed an energy transition law to reduce France’s reliance on nuclear power. Moreover, under his term, France became the first country to introduce mandatory climate change-related reporting for institutional investors, setting a superb example for the world. By 2030, France wants renewables to provide 32% of its energy, more than double its current contribution. Other targets include taking greenhouse-gas-emitting vehicles off the road by 2040 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The country also plans to shut all coal-fired power stations by 2021, ban drilling for oil and natural gas by 2040, and eventually phase out nuclear power. But how realistic are these goals? In this one-on-one conversation, Monsieur Hollande will share his views on climate change efforts in France and beyond.

Summary PointsChina has carried out an economic revolution within its economy, but continues to finance coal mines and facilities in Africa.

The United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement is a disaster and its full impact will be felt in the future.

France believes it is important to include nuclear power in its energy mix because it is a clean resource that does not generate greenhouse gas emissions, but this does not mean the country should not develop more renewable-energy plants.

The establishment of a $1 billion fund to assist developing countries in achieving their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has not yet happened, and these countries were poised voice their disappointment at COP24, which Poland hosted in December 2018.

RecommendationsDeveloped countries are accountable for the creation of the necessary funds to help developing countries advance in a sustainable manner.

If developed countries do not support developing nations in transitioning to a more sustainable economy, the latter will copy the same model developed countries used in the past, which will have a disastrous impact on the climate.

France has decided to phase out coal power plants by 2021 and all countries should do the same.

Producing electricity using nuclear energy or renewable sources has about the same kilowattper hour cost in France, so it makes economic sense to increase the role of renewables.

Governments must convince people to change their mindset and move to car sharing and public transport.

Moderator

Susannah Streeter

Anchor, BBC World Service and BBC World TV

UK

Keynote Speaker

Francois Hollande

Former Presidentof France

One on One

François Hollande,Former President of France

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16

In his keynote address, Francois Hollande, Former President of France, invited the audience to reflect on how far the international community has come in achieving the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In most economies in 2017, carbon emissions rose for the first time since 2014, reaching a historical high of 32.5 gigatons.

“Are the commitments being followed through? China has carried out a revolution within its economy, and it’s doing its best to follow through its commitments, but has it managed to get rid of coal? Well China is continuing to finance coal mines and facilities in Africa,” Hollande said.

Europe is also doing its utmost and has taken important decisions on renewable energy. Although some countries continue to use coal, many have started to use renewable energies. In the countries of the Arabian Gulf, Dubai has demonstrated its will to create a green economy.

On the other hand, the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement is a disaster, said Hollande. Its impact has not yet been felt but will be in the future. Nevertheless, many U.S. states and cities have expanded their efforts to fight climate change and many companies have implemented green standards, he said.

France has done much to limit its adverse impact on the climate. It hosted the Conference of Parties (COP21) on Climate Change and holds a lead position in protecting the environment. The country believes in developing renewable energy and reducing the use of fossil fuels. Given the urgency of the situation, France has also decided to shut down its coal facilities by 2021. This

initiative must be imitated by other countries, Hollande urged.

Several countries have already made commitments to reduce the share of coal in their energy mix. This is very important because coal is the most polluting fossil fuel, yet also the most widely used, said Hollande.

NUCLEAR ENERGY DILEMMA

France currently has the highest share of nuclear power in its energy mix, accounting for about 70 percent of its total electricity production.

Under Hollande’s presidency, the country decided to reduce the share of nuclear energy in its energy mix to 50 percent by 2025 in order to boost the role of renewable sources, a risky move because of France’s historical reliance on nuclear power, Hollande said. A relevant example is the UAE, where oil and gas are widely used.

It might have been tempting to maintain nuclear power’s dominance, because it does not produce greenhouse gases, but that would mean France was failing to adequately advance its renewable energy sources, said Hollande. Furthermore, producing electricity using nuclear energy or renewable sources has the about the same kilowatt-per-hour cost in France, so it makes economic sense to increase the share of renewables.

Using nuclear power to generate electricity does not produce carbon dioxide emissions, so its use can contribute to achieving climate change targets. In terms of production capacity, nuclear power raises some issues surrounding the recycling of nuclear waste and renovation of nuclear facilities.

Considering these factors, France must make the necessary investments to extend the lifespan of its nuclear power plants, Hollande said.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

With regards to the commitment within the Paris Agreement to create a $1 billion fund to support the transition to a green economy in the Global South, Hollande acknowledged that this fund has not been established.

As a result, Hollande said he expected the Global South to voice its disappointment about this failure at COP24, which Poland was poised to host in December 2018. The richer, developed countries understand what’s at stake if they don’t fulfill their promise: Developing countries will copy the same model that developed countries used in the past, which will have a disastrous impact on the climate.

“If there’s one call I have to make, it will be that it’s very important that developed countries take into account the fact that they’re accountable for the creation of the necessary funds to help developing countries carry out their developments in a sustainable manner,” said Hollande. “Donald

Trump’s decision to leave the accord was also a very negative development because the USA was one of the major players in this field.”

The former president said that it was also possible for developed countries to help in other ways. Thanks to the green economy, wealthier nations can show their developing counterparts a new model that will allow them to advance faster, without exploiting their own natural resources. Areas that would benefit from immediate attention are electricity production and reducing energy consumption, especially by automobiles.

Worldwide, there is a need to innovate to reduce road traffic and create smart cities. Car ownership will decline as people adopt a car-sharing mindset. People are still very attached to their independence and having their own vehicle, but it is a change that is very important, and has to take place in all countries for the benefit of everyone, Hollande added.

One on One One on One

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Former SecretaryGeneral of the United NationsFramework Conventionon Climate Change (UNFCCC)

GREEN TALKWITH CHRISTINA FIGUERES

Summary Points

Recommendations

• All countries must come together in 2020 to discuss and expand their vision of what they can do to decarbonize the global economy.

• Most countries have committed to the Paris Agreement, not because they want to save the planet, but because it is good for their respective economies.

• Dubai and the wider UAE are global leaders in solar energy and are successfully powering the way to a green economy.

• The Paris Agreement’s principle aim is to keep this century’s global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius, but it is clear we can only allow a maximum temperature rise of 1.5 degrees.

• Through decarbonization, the world will achieve economic gains worth $26 trillion and creation of 65 million new jobs.

• If we can bring the worldwide cost of solar energy down to $0.01 per kilowatt hour we could end global poverty.

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Christina Figueres, the former UN climate chief, is best known for leading the creation of the historic Paris Climate Agreement of 2015. At the World Green Energy Summit in Dubai, Figueres said the Paris Agreement is not a static framework. On the contrary, it was created to be a guiding light for the transition of the global economy over the following decades.

All countries must come together in 2020 to discuss and expand their vision of what they can do to decarbonize the global economy, Figueres said. Referring to the current position of the US that has made it difficult for some countries to collaborate at an international political level, she said what we see in international politics is a bifurcated reality, and both realities are co-existing at the same time. “We have a reality which science has dictated and a reality which is dictated by international politics,” she said.

Though the Paris Agreement’s main aim is to keep this century’s global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, based on the latest science it is clear we can only allow a max temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius, Figueres said.

Giving some examples of how far some countries have progressed in reaching the Paris Agreement targets, she said: “China domestically has met the targets promised under the Paris Agreement. India is way ahead. They can now increase their solar target by one-third and do it three years earlier. Sixty per cent of the U.S. economy is on track to meet and exceed the Paris commitments made by the country.”

Figueres also suggested that most countries have ratified the agreement not because they want to save the planet, but because it is good for their respective economies. New technologies and changes to policies and finance structures are helping nations progress towards meeting their targets.

“Decarbonizing the economy means cleaner air, less air pollution, it means more food security,” said Figueres. “It means more water security. It means more transport and energy independence. “By decarbonizing the planet we are going to reap economic benefits worth $26 trillion. We will be able to create 65 million new jobs in the green economy. The creation of 65 million jobs is going to attract the best talent on the planet. We will also avoid 700 million premature deaths and we will be creating $3 trillion in revenues for governments that impose a carbon tax.” Figueres cited a few recent instances where corporate leaders and investors have pledged their support for combatting climate change “Recently at the Global Climate Action Summit in California, we saw a display of around 100 CEOs and mayors of cities who vowed zero emissions by 2030. We saw mayors of around 75 cities representing 400 million citizens, saying they will go climate-neutral by 2030. We have now 500 corporations taking on science-based targets representing $10 trillion. We have 300 investors representing $32 trillion already moving their investments from intense carbon assets to lower carbon assets,” she said. In fact it is no exaggeration to say that decarbonization of the economy is the growth story of the 21st century.”

Talking about the UAE’s Vision 2021, which focuses on improving air quality, preserving water resources, increasing clean energy’s contribution to electricity generation and implementing green growth plans to ensure sustainable development, Figueres said the country fully understands it has a remarkable past and is perhaps building an even more remarkable future.

“The UAE has the vision to become a knowledge-based economy and it is well on its way already. It is a country that is rounded in its origins, with a visionary leader who is committed not just in participating in the future but actually helping in building the future,” she said, adding, “The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park implemented by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is the largest solar plant in the world. It has the most advanced self-cleaning solar cells. Also, Dubai has the lowest cost of renewable energy on the market, which is under $0.03 per kilowatt hour.”

Figueres concluded her talk by saying that Dubai and the wider UAE are global leaders in solar energy and are successfully powering the way to a green economy.

She also challenged the UAE to reduce the cost of solar energy. “Can we bring down the cost of solar energy to $0.01 a Kilowatt hour by 2050? If we can bring solar energy costs universally down to $0.01 a kilowatt hour we could solve global poverty, to which Dubai and the rest of the emirates are already contributing quite remarkably to that effort,” added Figueres.

Green Talk Green Talk

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Driving the Green Economyin the National Agenda

PLENARY SESSION 2

Summary Points

Recommendations

Session OverviewIncorporating sustainability goals into a national agenda is a commendable step that takes tremendous political will, yet it is the implementation of these goals which ultimately counts. While many green strategies remain solely on paper, some are blossoming and bringing about tangible socioeconomic and environmental benefits. In this high-level ministerial panel, government representatives from three different continents - representing Austria, the Maldives and Morocco - discussed their countries’ green-economy strategies, key initiatives and innovations, and how far they have come in their transition to a more sustainable society.

Most regions worldwide struggle to achieve the high targets set for environmental sustainability.

Morocco has set ambitious targets to increase the proportion of electricity it produces from renewable sources.

Maldives enforces strict environmental policies as well as regulatory measures to pursue it goal of attaining energy sustainability.

By prioritizing sustainable development, China has lifted 700 million people out of poverty. In the last 10 years, India took 250 million people out of poverty.

Morocco is on track to increase renewable sources’ share of electricity production to 42 percent by 2020

Maldives ensures that sustainability policies are properly implemented in developing new tourism projects.

The social and economic dimensions of sustainability must be addressed.

Not every city will be able to commit to producing 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.

Moderator Panelists

Nicki Shields

Host Presenter,Anchor & Pit-lane reporter

UK

H.E. Mr. Jorge ChediekEnvoy of the United

Nations Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation, and Director of the UN Office for

South-South Cooperation

Dr. Michael LoschDirector General for Energy and Mining, Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism

Austria

Hon. Thoriq IbrahimMinister of Environment

and EnergyMaldives

H.E. Nezha El OuafiSecretary of State to the

Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development,

Morocco

Plenary Session 2

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MOROCCO

H.E. Nezha El Ouafi, Secretary of State to Morocco’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, said her country is transitioning, to a green economy. The Secretary of State sees many challenges ahead in achieving this goal.

“An issue we are facing is whether national and international economies can adapt to the environmental challenges and execute the procedures related to the goal of sustainable development, charted by the Paris Agreement, as well as translating the challenges regarding environmental sustainability into opportunities to create jobs and technology,” she said. El Ouafi is confident Morocco can meet its commitment to transition to green energy in accordance with the guidelines and strategies implemented by King Mohammed VI.

“I can proudly say that Morocco now has a special practical model that could be one of the best in the African continent or Africa and Europe together” said El Ouafi.

The country is on track to achieve its aim of generating 42 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, said El Ouafi.

Explaining the various initiatives in Morocco to develop sustainable energy, El Ouafi said the projects will also create jobs. “We will have four power plants to produce renewable energy and we are starting a waste recycling program that could create 250,000 jobs,” said El Ouafi.

MALDIVES

Hon. Thoriq Ibrahim, Maldives’ Minister of Environment and Energy, started by saying his country is already suffering the effects of climate change. The country’s economy is based on tourism and fishing, so the Maldives has made it a high priority to achieve its environmental sustainability goals. Being acutely vulnerable to climate change and the consequent rise in sea levels has spurred the Maldives to incentivize and encourage its companies and citizens to conserve energy.

According to Ibrahim, Maldives drives its sustainable energy projects through a set of policies and regulatory measures. The ministry of environment has introduced energy conservation and awareness programs.

Maldives aims for 30 percent of its electricity to be produced from renewable sources. Over the past five years it has increased renewables’ electricity generation to about 15 MW, said Ibrahim. “Another area we focus on is power purchasing agreements, where the private sector can invest in renewable energy,” said Ibrahim.

Maldives also focuses on implementing properly regulated waste management policies and restricting mining to ensure the islands are safe and ready for investments. “We have restrictions on sand mining, coral mining and tree felling in order to ensure environmental sustainability,” said Ibrahim.

While explaining hospitality industry regulations, he said include implementation of sustainability policies.

“The numerous resorts we have are one of the mainstays of the economy. Every new resort has to ensure proper water production as well as waste management facilities including waste treatment plants,” said Ibrahim.

AUSTRIA

Dr. Michael Losch, Director General for Energy and Mining at Austria’s Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism, said “We are making sure our tasks in the Paris Agreement are done properly. There is a big focus on binding energy efficiency targets for the EU for 2030, with a clause for an upwards revision by 2023.”

Austria’s target is to eventually generate 100 percent of its electricity via renewable sources.

However, EU member countries face many problems and challenges in achieving their sustainability targets, including intermittent renewable electricity production when solar, wind and even hydropower is not stable, he said.

“It should also be noted that not every city will be able to commit to 100 percent electricity production (from) renewable energy - for that matter, most areas of the globe will find it tough to achieve such high targets,” said Losch.

UN OFFICE FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION

H.E. Mr. Jorge Chediek, Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation and Director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation said sustainability should be achieved on a global basis and there were many examples of successful contributions by member states.

“Through putting in efforts for sustainable development, China has saved 700 million people from poverty. India in the last ten years took 250 million people out of poverty. Countries such as the UAE, through its visionary leadership and commitment, have been showing great examples of

energy conservation and sustainable development to the rest of the world,” said Chediek.

The social and economic dimensions of sustainability must also be addressed, he added.

Plenary Session 2Plenary Session 2

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I can proudly say that Morocco nowhas a special practical model that could be

one of the best in the African continentor Africa and Europe together

H.E. Nezha El Ouafi,Secretary of State to Morocco’s Minister of Energy,

Mines and Sustainable Development

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The opening ceremony of the World Green Economy Summit 2018 featured four speakers from three countries, who shared their thoughts on the state of the green economy and how far we have come in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

H.E. Saeed Mohammad Ahmad Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and Chairman of WGES of Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, urged governments to work together to overcome green economy challenges before it is too late. In the UAE, both Agenda 2030 and Clean Energy Strategy 2050 have been translated into innovative policies, projects and initiatives. The country has made great strides in developing clean energy projects, such as the 5,000-MW solar complex that will be completed by 2030 and will help renewable sources provide 75 percent of Dubai’s electricity by 2050. This is in addition to the clean energy projects being developed by Masdar in Abu Dhabi.

Furthermore, in 2016, Dubai staged the launch of the World Green Economy Organisation’s (WGEO) country platform in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program. Several countries have joined as members, including the UAE, South Korea and Italy. In 2018, the first Preparatory Conference took place at WGES, attended by high-profile representa-tives from at least 60 countries.

In his speech, former French president Francois Hollande said the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 was a historical moment, with nearly all nations worldwide signing up and later ra-tifying it. Many public and private sector entities have decided to help limit global warming, and many financial institutions have integrated the notion of a green economy into their strategies. He warned the United States’ withdrawal from the agreement was worrying.

Another concern for the former French president is that despite all the efforts of the partici-pating countries, greenhouse gas emissions rose in 2017 versus the previous year. There are also increasing doubts about the performance of green economy investments.

In the coming years, Hollande believes greater effort will be required in order to achieve all that has been committed to in the Paris agreement. There is a need for a decarbonization strategy, and for countries to agree on a carbon price. The cost of producing renewable en-ergy has also become competitive, and other forms such as hydrogen fuel could offer further promise. By 2050, hydrogen fuel could represent one-fifth of the total energy consumed globally, while electric vehicles could become mainstream by 2030, Hollande noted.

Opening Ceremony Opening Ceremony

Opening CeremonyWGES 2018

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H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Cabinet Member and Minister of Climate Change and Environment, announced the launch of the inaugural World Green Economy Report 2018, which is entitled ‘Inspiring Innovations in Business, Finance and Policy,’ in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The report will serve as a reference point to enable decision-makers and the public to easily find information on green economy projects.

Much light has been shed on the green economy thanks to the UAE’s practices and initiatives, especially over the last decade, said Al Zeyoudi. The UAE’s Green Agenda 2015-2030 consists of five strategic objectives and 12 programs, which are designed to cover all the key aspects of transitioning to a green economy– including technology, human capital, regulatory environment, green finance, international trade, local content, intellectual property, and consumer awareness, plus integrated national planning and cooperation across the Emirates. Based on the latest updates, 22 out of 41 key performance indicators for the Green Agenda show either an improving or steady trend.

Opening Ceremony

Christiana Figueres, Former Secretary General at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said renewable energy costs have fallen 80 percent over the past 7-8 years thanks in huge part to what the UAE is doing. It’s not only cost that is being disrupted, - so too are the characteristics of the energy system, the very way in which energy is generated, transmitted and used. Today, there are 40 jurisdictions worldwide where solar power is cheaper than coal, including India. The next step will be storage, which requires investment for the price to fall and make renewable energy combined with storage the cheapest energy source.

Already, some countries are decentralizing energy production, digitalizing energy, and deepening access to electricity to an extent that would have been impossible with fossil fuels, said Figueres. However, there are still around 1.3 billion people without electricity. Solar power can provide electricity for them.

Describing this energy revolution, Figueres said “We’re moving from a 20th century de-pendent on fossil fuels, to a 21st century dependent on renewable energies. We’re mo-ving to a more stable world, because we will have addressed the worst challenges to climate change. We’re moving to a more just world, because everyone will have access to energy. We’re moving to a more peaceful world, because we will have energy inde-pendence in most countries, and to a more profitable world, because we’re looking at a business opportunity of at least $6 trillion over the next decade as we transition to new technologies.”

Opening Ceremony

31

World Expos – Inspiringthrough Collaboration

PARALLEL SESSION 1A

Moderator Panelists

Dr. Matt Kennedy

Head of Strategyand Business, International

Energy Research CentreIreland

Jennifer Colville Simon BangsInnovation Team Lead, UNDP

JordanPartner & Co-Founder,

Sustainable RecruitmentSolutions

UAE

Aisha Mohamed Al Abdooli

Director of GreenDevelopment, Ministry of Climate

Change and EnvironmentUAE

Anoosha Almarzouqi

Head of Partnershipsand Co-Creation, Opportunity

Pavilion, Expo 2020 DubaiUAE

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Summary Points

Recommendations

The UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has prioritized empowering youth and engaging them in policymaking. This is visible through its various youth-focused programs, youth strategy and youth council.

Sustainability is still an abstract concept for many people; the Expo 2020 aims to turn the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into physical and visual experiences which people can relate to.

The UN-led Agenda 2030 calls for transformational change and requires a completely different way of operating and doing business.

Instead of working independently and having hard lines between organisations and sectors, people should move to a more connected and networked environment.

Platforms can be very useful in facilitating mutually beneficial transactions, expanding the scale and quality of resources that are available to the community, and decreasing the cost of transaction and friction associated with collaboration.

Social media platforms make it easy for youth to be inspired and see how people around the world are tackling environmental and sustainability-related problems.

World Expos are ideally positioned to bring together innovation, policy and citizen engagement and this help accelerate progress towards a more sustainable future. The UAE’s chosen theme for Expo 2020 Dubai – Connecting Minds, Creating the Future – reflects a belief that as humanity’s challenges become increasingly complex and interrelated, development will depend on cooperation and the sharing of ideas in novel ways. Expo 2020 provides a platform to encourage creativity, innovation and collaboration in the areas of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.

Session Overview

Parallel Session 1A

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The world has come a long way toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but there is much work that needs doing. This is why Expo 2020 is a unique opportunity for people to convene and collaborate to achieve the goals. The Expo 2020’s theme of connecting minds speaks clearly of collaboration, and its sub-themes of opportunity, sustainability and mobility align well with the SDGs.

“Sustainability is still a remote concept for most ordinary people. We see a great opportunity for Expo 2020 to turn those SDGs into physical and visual experiences which people can understand and relate to,” said Anoosha Almarzouqi, Head of Partnerships and Co-Creation at the Opportunity Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai.

THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION

The Expo 2020 team is in daily discussions with stakeholders as to what they can do together to inspire people to get involved in solving some of the region’s most pressing concerns such as water and food security and energy.

“Our Expo Live program, which is a $1 million innovation and collaboration fund, accelerates creative solutions to improve the lives of people. We’ve had 70 Expo Live guarantees coming from different sectors and solving different problems. That is one of the legacies that Expo 2020 will leave behind in addition to our physical legacy – 80 percent of the site (will be) recycled and reused and will be called District 2020,” explained Almarzouqi.

In 2017 , the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment launched the National Climate Change Plan and started to work on its climate change adaptation programme. This includes assessing the potential impact that climate change could have on four key sectors in the UAE, namely energy, health, infrastructure, and the environment. In doing so, the ministry collaborated with local and federal authorities, researchers and NGOs, which collectively identified the priority climate change risks and adaptation measures.

“In the UAE we’re putting collaboration and partnerships at the heart of all the work we do. With the objective that we set out under Vision 2021 to be among the best countries in the world, we are steering our work towards the implementation of our green agenda,” said Aisha Mohamed Al Abdooli, Director of Green Development at the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

According to Jennifer Colville, Innovation Team Lead at UNDP Jordan, Agenda 2030 is ambitious but complicated. It has 17 interconnected goals and it’s the complexity of this interconnectedness that spurs people to collaborate.

“We see Agenda 2030 as calling for transformational change. We can’t continue to operate in the same way that we’ve been operating for the past 15 years and expect to achieve these goals. These are not UN goals; they are country goals which countries have committed to. It’s our agenda collectively. In addition to government, it includes civil society, the private sector, and us as citizens,” said Colville.

A MORE CONNECTED ENVIRONMENT

Given the complexity of Agenda 2030, the SDGs cannot be achieved by one sector or entity. For this reason, the United Nations Development Programme has innovated to create a new platform-based way of thinking and acting.

Platforms are intended to fix a market failure, when something isn’t right – for example, when entrepreneurs are not able to connect with investors. For the private sector, platforms are more common, and businesses have a good understanding of what they mean. However, in the development sector, platforms are a relatively new phenomenon.

Instead of working wholly separately and having hard and fast lines between organisations and sectors, organisations should move to a platform-way of working; to a more connected and networked environment.

“We see platforms as facilitating mutually beneficial transactions, expanding the scale and quality of resources that are available to the community, and decreasing the cost of transaction and friction associated with collaboration. Collaboration is hard. It’s much easier for me to make a decision as opposed to having to collaborate with other individuals. If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go together,” said Colville.

YOUTH INVOLVEMENT

Social media is one of the most common platforms used by people, young and old, noted Simon Bangs, Partner & Co-Founder at Sustainable Recruitment Solutions. There are many examples of people in their twenties who have seen one topic or another related to sustainability that has inspired them. Every day, they will go on social media and see articles about climate change and global warming. It’s easy for them to stay inspired this way and see how people around the world are tackling these problems, said Bangs.

As the first Expo to be hosted in the Middle East, North Africa & South Asia (MENASA) region, which has a huge youth demographic, Expo 2020 has devised several programmes for young people.

For example, the Expo School Programme engages

Parallel Session 1A

youth so that they can take part in the event and learn how to contribute to the Expo’s subthemes. The program has reached nearly 40,000 students across the UAE in more than 600 schools.

Expo 2020 has also collaborated with the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment on the event’s sustainability championship, which was a 1 million-dirham ($272,200) contest in which more than 100 schools participated. The two winning schools– one in Abu Dhabi and another in Dubai – will receive free solar panel installations to recognize the change their students achieved.

According to Colville, young people are incredibly active especially in Arab countries, and they have a passion and commitment to the SDGs. They may not call them SDGs, but they know them in terms of the challenges they face, such as finding a job or living free of discrimination. They are experts in their lives and the issues they deal with every day.Knowing the importance of involving youth in

transitioning to a green economy, the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has established its own youth council that regularly discusses a range of topics related to climate change and sustainable development. The ministry also provides a testbed for young innovators to try out their solutions, noted Al Abdooli.

To further empower UAE youth to take climate change-related action, the ministry launched the Emirates Youth Climate Strategy on International Youth Day in August 2018. The strategy includes six objectives, all focused on empowering youth and engaging them in policymaking. Furthermore, in 2017, the ministry launched CLIX, a marketplace that connects entrepreneurs with the investors to enable financing, and which promotes green entrepreneurship among young people.

Parallel Session 1A

Sustainability is still a remote conceptfor most ordinary people. We see a great

opportunity for Expo 2020 to turn those SDGsinto physical and visual experiences which

people can understand and relate toAnoosha Almarzouqi,

Head of Partnerships and Co-Creation at the Opportunity Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai.

35

Celebrating the EnvironmentalLegacy and Leadership of the Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan

PARALLEL SESSION 1B

Moderator Panelists

Mustafa Adil

Business Headof Emerging Businesses

at Thomson ReutersBahrain

Dr. Meshgan Al Awar

Director, Research& Studies Center, Dubai

Police AcademyUAE

H.E. Jorge Chediek

Envoy of the UnitedNations Secretary-General

on South-South Cooperationand Director, UN Office

for SSCUSA

Major GeneralProf. Dr. MohamedAhmed bin Fahad

Chairman of theHigher Committee ZayedInternational Foundation

for the EnvironmentUAE

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Summary Points

Recommendations

Sheikh Zayed’s vision, charisma and success not only inspired the region but the whole world.

The UAE has long been concerned about environmental sustainability - it was a priority for Sheikh Zayed, who reintroduced traditional methods of desert agriculture.

Government organizations and institutions have been diligently following and expanding up on the initiatives and the foundations of sustainability that Sheikh Zayed started.

Zayed International Foundation has launched Zayed Smart Green Platform and Zayed Green Challenge App to raise global awareness of sustainable development.

Zayed International Foundation for the Environment encourages environmental protection, supporting and promoting Sustainable Development Goals in line with the vision and philosophy of Sheikh Zayed.

United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) plays an important role in the global partnership of nations and helps countries achieve their sustainability goals.

Nations can find answers to many of their challenges through sharing experiences and good sustainability practices.

Session OverviewThe year 2018 marks the centenary of the birth of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and was declared as the “Year of Zayed” by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi.

In honor of the Year of Zayed, the Zayed International Foundation for the Environment organized a session to raise awareness about the late Sheikh Zayed’s achievements and contributions to sustainable development and the environment.

Founded in 1999 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Zayed International Foundation for the Environment recognizes and encourages environmental programs that support and promote the implementation of various international environmental commitments. These include Agenda 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 21, plus the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Johannesburg Plan of Implementation for Sustainable Development, and the outcomes of Rio+20. All are in line with the vision and philosophy of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates.

Parallel Session 1B

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The session started by signing a historic agreement with UN Office for South-South Corporation to promote the development of youth and talent through training, events and other activities that will help promote South-South Corporation and international development. The agreement was signed by H.E. Jorge Chediek, Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation and Director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, and Major General Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ahmed bin Fahad, Chairman of the UAE’s Higher Committee Zayed International Foundation for the Environment.

The year 2018 has been celebrated as the Year of Zayed to mark the centenary of the birth of the late UAE president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and highlight his remarkable life and achievements. Outside the political arena, his greatest contributions were in the areas of sustainable development and laying the foundations to develop the UAE as a green economy. Known worldwide as a visionary leader, Sheikh Zayed’s foresight has made UAE what it is today. The late Sheikh Zayed’s vision continues to inspire leaders not only in the UAE, but across the world.

“Sheikh Zayed’s vision, charisma and success not only inspired the region but also the whole world. His philosophy was nurtured by clear vision, charisma and wisdom. He believed in the importance of education and we follow this in all the national programs,” said Dr. Meshgan Al Awar Director of Research & Studies Center at Dubai Police Academy.

Al Awar reflected on the environmental legacy of Sheikh Zayed. Environmental sustainability was a top priority for him, who reintroduced traditional methods of desert agriculture to ensure Abu Dhabi and the rest of the emirates would be fertile and green. He invested heavily in protecting endangered species, establishing protected areas because he believed each living organism had a role to play in the natural balance of planet earth.

Al Awar talked about Sheik Zayed’s strive for sustainability, noting the former UAE president was a visionary in this area long before the United Nations began to frame the sustainable development goals.

PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The UN office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) puts International Cooperation particularly among developing countries at the heart of its mandate. Mustafa Adil, Business Head of Emerging Businesses at Thomson Reuters, asked about the role played by developing countries such as the UAE in promoting collaboration among other nations and how the activities of UNOSSC help promote the sustainable development goals, particularly in countries that most need development.

“UNOSSC has become a major element in the global

partnership of nations in achieving sustainability and has been helping countries attain (their) sustainable development goals,” said Chediek.

Citing a few success stories, Chediek said: “China took 700 million people out of poverty. India took 250 million people out of poverty in the last 10 years. There are many other such cases. Because of these kinds of successes, countries in the South realized that they can find answers to their challenges through sharing experiences and good practices in sustainability.

“Sharing examples will in many ways shorten the road for many countries to attain sustainability because we can learn from the ones that succeeded and we can also learn from difficulties and differences,” he added.

So what is the UAE’s role in this context? The UAE offers a great example of how to escape both the natural resources trap and the middle-income trap, which are serious problems in global development. In all that it does, UAE integrates the spirit of South-South cooperation.

“Perhaps a lot of that can be attributed to the late Sheikh Zayed, whose great political wisdom in the late sixties and seventies to work with (the) other emirates led to the creation of this very sturdy political structure that’s seen in the UAE,” said Chediek.

Citing the brilliance of the water irrigation system Sheikh Zayed implemented in Abu Dhabi’s Buraimi Oasis, Chediek said the late leader must have forged his idea to diversify away from oil having seen Abu Dhabi’s economy collapse in the early 20th century due to Japan’s invention of cultured pearls, which ravaged the UAE’s pearl diving industry.

“The more I studied and read about this man, I found his legacy remarkable. He was a person with very limited education in his youth but with a very deep spiritual life and deep engagement with culture. He committed to sustainable development when he was very young,” said Chediek.

FOLLOWING THE LEGACY OF SHEIKH ZAYED

UAE government organizations and institutions have been diligently following and expanding upon the initiatives and sustainability foundations that Sheikh Zayed started. The activities of Zayed International Foundation for the Environment have played a vital role in this.

Founded in 1999 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, , the Zayed International Foundation for the Environment recognizes and encourages environmental programs that support and promote the implementation of various international environmental commitments.

Parallel Session 1B

These include Agenda 21, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals, which are all in line with the vision and philosophy of the late Sheikh Zayed. A key focus has always been in aligning the foundation’s various activities with UNOSSC.

“Zayed International Foundation works with the UN offices of South-South Coroporation on how to achieve the sustainable development goals. In this year of Zayed, we did some exhibitions and symposiums focusing on how to (share) knowledge on environmental sustainability and the sustainable development goals, as well as the green economy,” Al Awar said.

Among the many initiatives from Zayed International Foundation, the launch of Zayed Smart Green Platform and Zayed Green Challenge App deserves special mention.

The app aims to educate and raise global awareness of sustainable development ideas and encourages

all sections of society to respond to pressing environmental challenges.

The Zayed Green Challenge smart app has many features including prize-winning competitions and games such as Smart Mind, an interactive memory testing game and Knowledge Hunt, which tests players’ knowledge of the environment and sustainable development.

“All these efforts have paid off. The total reach of these projects including the South-South countries have hit an audience of more than 3 million,” said Al Awar. Zayed Green Challenge is developed by the Zayed International Foundation and available for free download on iOS and Android.

The session ended with the launch of a special edition of a UNOSSC thought leadership report entitled “Good Practices in South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Sustainable Development”. An Arabic translation of the special edition will be ready by the end of 2018.

Parallel Session 1B

China took 700 million people out of poverty.India took 250 million people out of poverty in the

last 10 years. There are many other such casesH.E. Jorge Chediek,

Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on South- South Cooperation and Director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation

39

Creating the Future Througha Circular Economy

PARALLEL SESSION 2A

Moderator Panelists

Dr. Matt Kennedy

Head of Strategy andBusiness, International Energy

Research CentreUK

Shukri Eid Yousuf Luiz CairesManaging Director East Region,

Cisco Middle EastUAE

Vice President of ExpoLive, Expo 2020

UAE

Mohamed Al Jawi

Senior Manager,Environment, Emirates

Global AluminiumUAE

Sass Brown

Founding Dean,Dubai Institute of Design

and InnovationUAE

38

Summary Points

Recommendations

Organisations have been very successful in practicing vertical integration, but few have managed to accomplish horizontal integration.

Expanding through horizontal integration has many advantages for the circular economy, such as achieving economies of scale and reducing production costs.

Consumer interest in the green economy is growing, which is pushing factories to change their ways and improve environmental standards.

There is a strong business case for embedding circular economy principles in a company.

The average lifespan of an item of clothing is less than three years, which generates enormous waste.

Companies should learn to work outside their usual boundaries and integrate with others to create value and sustain resources.

Companies using scarce resources that are becoming more expensive should find alternatives because their business is vulnerable to supply and demand dynamics.

Technology companies could offer their customers free collection of unwanted hardware, which would then allow them to recycle or refurbish these items for commercial gain.

Consumers can contribute to promoting the circular economy in the garment and textiles industry. They could wash their clothing less frequently, demand better practices from brands, and alter pieces to make them last longer.

Session OverviewHistorically, World Expos have been about tackling some of the most pressing global issues and making a lasting impact on the path of human progress. Expo 2020’s theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ reflects a belief that innovation and progress are the result of people from different fields and backgrounds, who would otherwise not normally collaborate, coming together in new and unique ways to share ideas and contribute towards driving positive change.

The world faces ever-increasing global consumption of natural resources and the related environmental and socioeconomic challenges this consumption creates. The transition towards a circular economy is gaining traction, with the concept now high on the global agenda. This discussion brought together different perspectives on the circular economy that could define the future of sustainability.

Parallel Session 2A

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As with any large-scale movement, transiting to a circular economy requires mass participation. Every industry has a role, and every person can make a difference, from the way factories operate to the material we choose to wear.

Mohamed Al Jawi, Senior Manager for Environment & Waste Management at Emirates Global Aluminium, the UAE’s largest non-energy industrial company, said UAE-based organisations have been very successful in practicing vertical integration, because most companies have strategic teams and departments focused on how to align themselves with the national agenda.

However, organisations are not doing so well in terms of horizontal integration-for example the aluminium industry integrating with cement producers. Even in large organisations, there are multiple functions and units that have yet to integrate with each other to create value and sustain resources. This becomes especially apparent during mergers, when two companies come together but have difficulty integrating their businesses.

Expanding through horizontal integration has many advantages - it can achieve economies of scale, economies of scope, increased market power or market share, and lower production costs. Companies should, therefore, learn to work outside their boundaries and integrate with others, said Al Jawi.

Waste in the aluminium industry is hazardous, so safely disposing of this waste is one of the sector’s biggest challenges. Emirates Global Aluminium has started a program to recycle one of its by-products. While the company has recycled this by-product previously, it was not done in order to benefit another industry. Knowing this waste was valuable material, Emirates Global Aluminium approached the steel and cement industries to see if they could collaborate.

“The consumer’s interest in the green economy is rising, and that’s why we’re now taking up the aluminium initiative, a voluntary set of sustainability standards. We’re volunteering to subscribe to one of the toughest sustainability standards in terms of social governance, because we want to create pressure on ourselves to exceed consumers’ expectations,” explained Al Jawi.

STRONG BUSINESS CASE

From a technology point of view, the circular

economy is much more than an environmental concept, said Shukri Eid, Managing Director for the East Region at Cisco Middle East. Economically, there is a strong business case for embedding circular economy principles within a company.

Businesses that use increasingly scarce resources which are also rising in prices are vulnerable to supply and demand dynamics. “The more we become environmentally aware and driven by sustainability, the more we can come up with creative business models that drive value for customers who are users of such resources that are under pressure,” said Eid.

“One of our programs at Cisco is focused on consumption, where we give customers the option to allow us to help them, for free, to dispose of the Cisco technology they want to take out of their site. We have a logistics arm that can collect that waste and we’re going to either refurbish it for reuse or recycle a lot of it.”

This process requires Cisco to be more aware of their products’ components from the design stage in order to ensure these can be reused and can be built out of reused material. The company is also redesigning its products to extend their lifecycle.

THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY’S FOOTPRINT

When it comes to the clothes we wear, there is plenty of room to make improvements and contribute to the circular economy. According to Sass Brown, Founding Dean at the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, the average lifespan of a piece of clothing is less than three years, which generates enormous waste. Moreover, washing an item of clothing accounts for about 36 percent of its environmental footprint, so consumers have an opportunity to reduce that by washing their clothes less frequently

“If we recontextualise what we currently consider as waste in the fashion sector, then we can implement a much greater circular economy. Up to 99 percent of textiles are recyclable in some way, shape or form, depending upon their quality and what they are. Nevertheless, 75 percent on average end up in landfills,” said Brown.

Chemicals used in making textiles can leak into water supplies when clothing is dumped in landfill sites. The garment industry also widely uses synthetic fibres, which are non-biodegradable and spend about 30 years in a landfill before starting to decompose.

Parallel Session 2A

Longevity is another issue – something as simple as getting our clothes altered can make them last longer. Consumers can also boycott brands and demand they implement more environmentally friendly practices and materials, or they can purchase more from local designers, thereby investing in the local economy.

“The fashion industry is based on an old model. It’s out of date and doesn’t fit the circular economy. The good news is that change is happening in the smaller emerging markets because when you’re working with limited or expensive resources, you simply don’t tend to waste as much,” said Brown. She stressed that if clothing came with labelling much like that of food products –showing its environmental and human impact – we could probably eliminate fast fashion overnight.

Dubai Expo 2020 plans to raise awareness of

the circular economy through its sustainability pavilion, which will “inspire, shock and make people self-reflect”, said Yousuf Luiz Caires, Vice President of Expo Live, Expo 2020.

“When our visitors experience our sustainability conversation in the dedicated pavilion, they will self-reflect as an individual and consumer. For countries who will be building live pavilions, it’s an opportunity to showcase how they are leaders in their regions, for example in regulating waste or incentivizing renewables,” said Caires.

With millions of visitors expected to visit the Expo 2020 and more than 170 countries participating, the messages conveyed during the event will reach a large amount of people and hopefully create a lasting impact for the green economy.

Parallel Session 2A

Up to 99 percent of textiles are recyclablein some way, shape or form, depending upon their

quality and what they are. Nevertheless, 75 percent on average end up in landfills

Sass Brown,Founding Dean at the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation

43

The Green Economyand Disruptive Technologies

PARALLEL SESSION 2B

Moderator Panelists

ThirumalaiMadhavnarayan

Vice Presidentand Chief Digital Business

Officer, DEWAUAE

Mohammed Alsehli

Founder and CEO,Arabian Chain

UAE

Hussain Khansaheb

Director Partnershipsand special projects, Ministry

of Climate Change andEnvironment

UAE

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Summary Points

Recommendations

Integrating technologies such as blockchain and AI can have a positive impact on energy markets.

Cryptocurrencies don’t have a major impact on the renewable energy sector or sustainability.

The UAE’s blockchain strategy focuses on the happiness of citizens, government efficiency, advanced legislation and international leadership.

The UAE government faces challenges in integrating blockchain technologies and is working on initiatives to overcome these challenges.

Blockchain technology can positively impact the sustainability system. However, this impact is not yet visible outside financial markets and will require broader adoption to have a wider effect. Integrating blockchain technology into energy markets is as much of a philosophical change as a technology change.

Successful start-ups will be the ones that can work with utilities and incumbent businesses to help them see the value of improving their business models through the use of blockchain.

Session OverviewThe coming years are widely expected to usher in a green cryptocurrency revolution, opening new financing avenues for environmental and clean-energy projects. Blockchain technology – the digital ledger underpinning cryptocurrencies – can provide an open, transparent system for buying, selling and trading renewable energy, paving the way for prosumers, and balancing supply and demand.

However, blockchain comes with many challenges, from being a nascent technology to the lack of regulation which creates a risky environment. This session examined the prospects for using blockchain in clean energy as well as the obstacles hindering its wider application. It brought together a distinguished panel of cryptocurrency experts, blockchain influencers and renewable energy start-ups to debate blockchain’s emerging role in sustainability.

Parallel Session 2B

David MartinManaging Director and

Co-founder, Power LedgerAustralia

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The UAE has been at the forefront of adopting new technologies to improve government efficiency and serve people in a better way. This vision of the nation was underlined when His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the UAE’s blockchain strategy in 2018. The country aims to use blockchain technology for 50 percent of government services, which could provide huge cost savings and significantly reduce the number of working hours required to run the government.

“This is the importance of enhancing new technologies such as AI, blockchain and advanced sciences in the UAE. The UAE is looking to provide each customer with a Unique Identification Number that will enable them to be a part of the blockchain initiative. The strategy focuses on four main pillars: happiness of citizens, government efficiency, advanced legislation, and international leadership,” said Hussain Khansaheb, Director of Partnerships and Special Projects, UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

BLOCKCHAIN’S IMPACT ON ENERGY MARKETS

Integrating technologies such as blockchain and AI can add real value to energy markets, mostly through improving business processes. Blockchain enables people to create and transact value between each other without the need of an intermediary. But blockchain it is not yet visible outside financial markets and requires broader adoption for its value to become more apparent.

“It’s too early to talk about the real value of blockchain technology. The major saving it brings is not just the technology part. It reshapes business processes and that has direct impact on the economy, the future of countries,” said Mohammed Alsehli, Founder and CEO of Arabian Chain, a UAE-based blockchain startup.

One of the first things people think of when talking about blockchain technology is the cryptocurrency bitcoin. However, bitcoin doesn’t have much impact on renewable energy sector or sustainability overall except perhaps for attempts to reduce the amount of energy used to mine bitcoin.

Part of these attempts involve removing the proof of mining mechanism, an energy intensive process to ensure transactions are safe and happening in a trusted network There are lots of initiatives being worked on. “Some of them are valuable

today and we can see them in transactions. Some of them need more time and need more guidance and adoption from governments and leaders worldwide to make it happen,” said Alsehli.

David Martin, Managing Director and Co-founder of Power Ledger Australia, supported Alsehli, saying maximizing blockchain’s impact on energy markets will require as much of a philosophical change as a technology change.

“In most parts of the world we still have a framework that assumes all electricity comes from large-scale generators. The reality in a place like Australia is that one-in-three or one-in-four consumers is generating electricity through solar panels on their roofs. Here the challenge is not about how technically we manage that, it is about how we think about how to create that system and how we think about how we drive value from that system,” said Martin.

The total value of assets administered via blockchain is over $1.6 billion. These assets can be used in the clean energy sector too and are expected to become more important parts of resilient renewable energy systems. According to Martin, smart grid technologies have been around for 15-20 years, but these systems have not been widely adopted because of high costs. Now, the global trend is for consumers themselves to contribute to developing the major infrastructure required to create smart systems through installing of renewable energy generation storage technologies.

“We (can) use AI and such technologies to create a low-cost and low-carbon resilient energy system that is funded by consumers themselves,” said Martin. “As technologies such as AI and blockchain mature and create a greater economic incentive for the creation of distributed renewable systems, I think we will see more and more assets coming into those systems”.

HOW UAE GOVERNMENT INTEGRATES BLOCKCHAIN

The UAE is looking at blockchain as a partnership between the government and the private sector. Within the private sector, start-ups should have a huge opportunity to leverage blockchain technologies. “The UAE government is focusing on blockchain as a tool to support resolving a problem,” said Khansaheb.

The Smart Dubai initiative aims for all government

Parallel Session 2B

services to rely on blockchain technology by 2020. The Dubai Future Foundation, another major initiative, was established to educate and create awareness about blockchain.

Dubai Future Accelerators is a hub that brings the private sector and government together. “We are only a blink away from the Expo 2020 deadlines. We have large entities such as DEWA and have opened the doors for start-ups in the sustainability space,” said Khansaheb.

Powerledger’s Martin highlighted how blockchain applications have been successfully used by start-ups. “I think the space will be identified and shaped by start-ups, and the successful ones will be the start-ups that can work with utilities and incumbent businesses to help them see the value of improving their business models. The leadership shown by regulators and policy makers in the UAE is exactly what start-ups would require,” Martin said.

According to Alsehli, Dubai’s government has made it possible for entrepreneurs and start-ups to experiment with technologies. “Initiatives like Smart Dubai, Dubai Future Accelerators and the Future Foundation are the key for entrepreneurs like us to test and disrupt the status quo and gain lot of value from it,” he said.

However, the integration of blockchain technology into the various government verticals is not without difficulties.

“We all have talked positively about the good things and initiatives but that doesn’t mean we are not facing challenges in terms of using these blockchain technologies. The government is aware of the challenges of centralizing data, cyber-attack, education and awareness and we are working on initiatives to overcome these challenges,” Khansaheb concluded.

Parallel Session 2B

It’s too early to talk about the real valueof blockchain technology. The major saving it brings

is not just the technology partMohammed Alsehli,

Founder and CEO of Arabian Chain

47

Examining the CLIXModel for the Young GreenEntrepreneurs

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

Panelists

Shaima Al QassabCo-Founder & CEO, Algalife

UAE

ModeratorKeynote Speaker

Khalid Al AmeriContent Creator

and Social CommentatorUAE

Presenter

Mira Mohammed AlShaamiHead of Youth Council,

Ministry of Climate Change& Environment

UAE

H.E. Saeed Mohammad Ahmad Al Tayer

Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority

UAE

H.E. Razan Khalifa Al MubarakSecretary General, The Environment

Agency-Abu DhabiUAE

46

Summary Points

Recommendations

Historically, environment-related information was very centralized –government organisations would hold all the data. Today these walls are coming down, because solving environmental issues cannot be addressed by a single entity.

The Environment Agency is finalising an environmental curriculum that will become part of the UAE’s education system.

The first edition of CLIX was a great success, attracting 360 applications from 65 countries.

Climate change news must continue to make global headlines and not only when natural disasters happen; it should become more appealing and more positive.

Today’s youth require inspiration as much as they need information.

Platforms that match innovators and entrepreneurs with investors and government can accelerate the much-needed deployment of green technologies and climate solutions.

Small focus groups work well in engaging young people by starting conversations on interesting topics.

Funding has always been a challenge for youthful green entrepreneurs who want to take their creative ideas to the next level. To overcome this hurdle and connect investors with young innovators, the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change & Environment (MOCCAE) launched the Climate Innovations Exchange (CLIX) in October 2017. The initiative has been a resounding success, drawing more than 300 submissions from 65 countries in less than three months.

By early 2018, $17.5 million of investments had been pledged for 16 projects. With so much accomplished in such little time, this panel took a closer look at CLIX, examining why it has done so well and whether the same model could be replicated in other countries.

Session Overview

Youth Engagement

Daniel ZywietzFounder & CEO, Enerwhere

UAE

The UAE has long prioritized engaging its youth and supporting their empowerment so that the country can achieve its sustainability goals. The UAE’s Ministry of Youth and Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCE) have rolled out several youth initiatives, including the Emirates Youth Climate Strategy, which launched on International Youth Day 2018 on August 12. MOCCE’s own youth council developed the strategy, which demonstrates the ministry’s engagement of youth so that they can lead climate action and the development of a green economy.

SUPPORTING YOUNG IDEAS

To empower young innovators and help make their ideas reality, MOCCE also launched the Climate Innovations Exchange (CLIX) in 2017. The platform connects entrepreneurs with investors to help drive sustainable climate change solutions.

Such platforms, which match innovators and entrepreneurs with investors and government, can accelerate the much-needed deployment of green technologies and climate solutions, said Mira Mohammed AlShaami, Head of Youth Council at the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment.

The first edition of CLIX was a great success, attracting 360 applications from 65 countries. These applications spanned innovations in agriculture, air quality and green mobility. Investors indicated their intention to invest around $17.5 million in 16 projects in the first year. The largest number of applicants per country came from the UAE, mostly from local youth innovators.

Meanwhile, H.E. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General at The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi said that historically information was very centralized – a government organisation would hold all data. Today these walls are coming down, and for good reason: solving environmental issues cannot be addressed by a single entity and must be addressed at different levels of the community.

Shaima Al Qassab, a 22-year-old Emirati chemical engineering student and CEO of Alga Life, was among the 27 semi-finalists who pitched to prospective investors at CLIX 2018. Her company creates eco-friendly and natural algae-based ink products as an alternative to chemical ink, contributing to the protection of human health and the environment.

“At Alga Life we take green algae and convert it into ink. Because the ink we use today is made from petroleum products and other chemicals, it’s harmful for us and our environment. I thought why

not change this?” said Al Qassab, who is currently making the first product prototype.

Her journey was far from easy, with lots of difficult moments and some successes, but she never quit and continued to advance her idea. “I couldn’t even talk on stage at the time. But when I started this company, it gave me the confidence to go and speak to people and bring out my idea,” Al Qassab said.

COMMUNICATION GAP

Daniel Zywietz, Founder & CEO of Enerwhere, a solar distributed utility company that was founded in 2012, said his entrepreneurial journey was also exhilarating, and that he was blessed because he had a professional career before becoming a start-up founder.

“I spent seven years in management consulting, including several years in the UAE where I worked with organisations like Masdar, so I knew the sector I was working in. I had the skillset in the sense that I trained for years on how to give presentations in public, how to run an excel model and many other things that I didn’t think would be applicable,” Zywietz told the audience.

Enerwhere provides electricity to industrial customers who don’t have a connection to the DEWA grid through a combination of solar and diesel at a lower cost than using just diesel. Today, it is the UAE’s fifth-largest electricity producer, after ADWEA, DEWA, SEWA and FEWA, providing a total of about 50 MW of power generation.

The company employs 85 people, including 60 engineers, who have an average age of under 29. Many engineers were hired from UAE universities, including Masdar Institute and the University of Sharjah. However, hiring UAE nationals has proven difficult because they rarely apply for jobs at the company, said Zywietz.

This is likely a result of a communication gap, said H.E. Al Mubarak. While the UAE has been very consistent in its message to its youth, the environmental movement and green economy concept was not making headlines.

“The environmental narrative has lost its lustre. When you pick up the newspapers, you’ll see environmental news stories on the seventh page. The only time you may hear about the environment [in the headlines] is when natural disasters happen, in the context of climate change,” said H.E. Al Mubarak.

Youth Engagement

48

Bad news is not that inspiring, she added, because it makes people want to hide and say it’s not my fault. In her experience, small focus groups like those held by the Environment Agency succeed in engaging young people by opening conversations around jobs, technology and other interesting topics.

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

H.E. Al Mubarak revealed that the Environment Agency was finalising an environmental curriculum that will be incorporated into the UAE’s education system. “In the past it was a supplementary activity dependent on the interests of the teacher. Interested teachers would sign up for this activity and offer it to their students. I would like to raise my hat to those teachers who have been doing voluntary work with the Environment Agency.”

The Environment Agency has three main platforms – the first is the environmental ambassador youth platform, a program with monthly meetings that engages youth and their ideas. The second platform is for businesses, where the private sector can inform the agency what type of policies it

should consider, and the third is an educational environmental program which can be requested in schools.

In addition, the agency is planning to launch a new program entitled ‘Connecting with Nature’, because young people need inspiration as much as they need information, she said

The environmental ambassador youth platform has enrolled 1 million Emiratis during the nearly 17 years it has been running . Today, those students are the ones who are going to Masdar and specialising in environmental work. Thus, getting people aware and interested in the environment from an early age has a major return on investment.

Youth Engagement

49

5150

WGES 2018

OCTOBER 25, 2018

53

PLENARY SESSION 3

Moderator Panelists

Susannah StreeterAnchor, World Business

Report, BBC World Service and BBC World TV

UK

Timucin EnginSenior Director

& Cross-Practice CountryCoordinator, GCC Region,

S&P Global RatingsUAE

Aidar KazybayevManaging Director,

Astana International Financial Centre Authority

Kazakhstan

Rafe HaneefCEO, Group Islamic Banking

and CIMB Islamic BankMalaysia

The Green Bond Marketand ‘‘Greenwashing’’

52

Summary Points

Recommendations

The perception of a green bond or a green project differs depending on one’s understanding of how an industry operates.

It might not be long before green bond standards are harmonized, but until then, each country will have to follow its own framework.

Asset managers want Islamic banks to make clear statements on sustainable finance.

Having an Islamic banking window in a conventional bank is part of the inclusiveness principle

Being able to obtain a rating for a green bond would facilitate investments, enhance transparency and simply the whole process.

An annual auditor report would also be very useful in evaluating green bonds for issuers.

An Islamic bank must have a framework to ensure that green investment proceeds are used for the intended purposes.

Those looking to invest in a green bond should do their due diligence and make sure it’s aligned to best practices.

Session Overview The green bond market has achieved explosive growth in the past five years. Nearly $95 billion of green bonds were issued in 2016, twice as much as in 2015, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Further green bond uptake is expected to enable $250 billion of new issuance in 2018, surpassing 2017’s record $155 billion.

Yet as the market blossoms, instances of so-called “greenwashing” are also rising. While most issuers have genuine commitments to sustainability, in recent years many green bonds have been accused of making misleading claims about the environmental benefits of the projects that the bonds will finance. This session examined how governments and financial communities can mitigate greenwashing and increase transparency in the green bond market. Financial experts also discussed ways in which investors can determine whether a green bond is truly green.

Plenary Session 3

Hanife YmerHead of Sustainability

Services, KPMG in the LowerGulf (UAE and Oman)

UAE

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Different qualifications apply today for various asset classes and technologies within the green investment. Some assets qualifying in Asia as green are not necessarily considered green in Europe. These are interesting areas which green bond investors are looking at, said Timucin Engin, Senior Director & Cross-Practice Country Coordinator for the GCC Region at S&P Global Ratings.

Malaysia, for example, is a major producer of palm oil. Its understanding of environmental impact is different from someone in Sweden or the Netherlands. For example, the carbon footprint of cattle-rearing or soya production, is higher than that of palm oil, said Engin. But the global perception is that the palm industry is the most environmentally damaging of these three. Our perceptions differ based on one’s understanding of how an industry operates.

It won’t take long for a consensus to emerge and for standards to become harmonized, but until then each country will have to operate according to its own framework.

ESTABLISHING CLEAR LINES

The green bond market is evolving. Speaking on whether conventional banks can offer Islamic finance solutions and where green bonds fit into the product mix, Rafe Haneef, Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Islamic Bank in Malaysia, said that clear lines should be defined to ensure there is no uncertainty over whether financial products are sharia-compliant.

“In some countries including in the GCC you have to choose whether you are an Islamic or a conventional bank. But in many countries including the UAE you can be a conventional bank with an Islamic window, so the debate goes around how we can offer both. The scholars have said it’s part of the inclusiveness principle as long as your use of proceeds are defined,” said Haneef.

If an Islamic bank takes deposits from a customer and has vowed to use them for green purposes or for Islamic finance, then it must have a framework to ensure these proceeds are indeed used for their intended purposes.

DEMAND FOR INFORMATION

On the investor side, the CIMB has noted repeated demands from asset managers globally for a clear statement on sustainable finance. They want to know where the bank invests its money, what

sectors it will finance and not finance. Asset managers want CIMB Islamic Bank to measure the impact, both positive and negative. Millennial job seekers are also asking the bank for an impact analysis because they want to work with socially responsible firms.

“Given that it’s the beginning of a journey, we spend a lot of time in capacity building to educate board members, management and our stakeholders. I think this is the time for us to put the framework, and perhaps in five years’ time we can come up with a regulation to make sure there is consistency,” said Haneef.

There is also a need to work out more procedures for the green bond market, for example, by supporting local verification companies that wish to work in green markets, said Aidar Kazybayev, Managing Director of Astana International Financial Centre Authority in Kazakhstan.

With so much demand for green bonds, investors are becoming more accommodating and tolerant in terms of the varying standards. However, those who are looking to invest in a green bond should do their due diligence and make sure it’s aligned to best practices.

RATING BONDS

Eventually, there will be a simplification of the process and perhaps issuers will be able to obtain a green rating from a ratings agency. In such a scenario, there would be different levels of greenness depending on compliance with green standards.

Thus, instead of having so many different opinions as to what constitutes “green”, the ratings would be a simple, universal indicator. Engin highlighted that S&P Global Ratings already has a green evaluation assessment that examines transparency and government frameworks among other criteria.

As bonds are an ongoing investment, investors will also require an annual report from a well-established auditor. “If we just have those two – the rating report and annual reporting – we would have a standardized process,” noted Haneef.

The panelists agreed that the green bond market is still immature and will grow further. This presents an opportunity for cities such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai to take a leadership role in green investments.

Plenary Session 3 Plenary Session 3

If we just have those two – the ratingreport and annual reporting – we would have

a standardized processRafe Haneef,

Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Islamic Bank

57

GREEN TALKWITH JASON DREW Engineering a Better World : The Technology of Repairing the Future

Keynote Speaker

Jason DrewCEO, AgriProtein

South Africa

56

Green Talk

Summary Points

Recommendations

The retail model has undergone massive change worldwide. People now prefer to use recyclable products.

The sharing economy has huge potential in helping the world achieve sustainability and has been on a growth curve.

Flies are nature’s recycling agents and can be used to repurpose food waste.

Corporates and brands that cannot produce products that are durable, repairable, upgradable and sharable will fall behind their competitors that do.

A sharing economy creates a win-win situation for all parties involved, and the market itself will get rid of manufacturers producing goods with a short lifespan.

How wonderful would it be if all our food waste was recycled into something that was natural, usable and needed?

Jason Drew is an international business leader, serial entrepreneur and former CEO of a JSE listed business he founded. Following two heart attacks he retired early and became an eco-entrepreneur, futurist, and author. His talk explores the end to the Industrial revolution and the dawn of the sustainability revolution. New technologies and businesses are emerging that are busy repairing our future. How business and environmentalists work together will determine nothing less than the future of mankind. A personal look at some of his amazing and unusual green businesses from mosquitoes to trucks.

Session Overview

5958

Green Talk

Jason Drew, CEO of South Africa’s AgriProtein, began his Green Talk by citing a few examples of initiatives in the retail world that are making a huge difference to the way brands source products and customers use them. These were mainly triggered by retail giants focusing on creating more sustainable products that are durable, repairable, upgradable and sharable.

Marks and Spencer UK, in an attempt to encourage customers to recycle unwanted clothes and reduce the amount of clothes that are thrown away. To shrink the volume of clothing that goes to landfill, the company started a program called Showpping. Customers can get a 20 percent discount on a new shirt by putting an unwanted item of clothing into Showp Drop boxes, which are located at Marks and Spencer stores. Donated clothes will either be reused or recycled.

“Cotton is recyclable just like plastics and glasses. When cotton is recycled, what we are doing is buying cotton from customers rather than buying it from cotton growers in Texas or Pakistan. The model of retail has changed dramatically,” said Drew.

Marks and Spencer’s target is to recycle hundreds of millions of items every year as part of its environmental and ethical program that aims to make the brand the world’s most sustainable major retailer.

California-based Patagonia, which sells sustainable outdoor clothing and gear, has a campaign called Worn Wear that keeps its products in use longer. Patagonia’s focus on high quality durable apparel means they last longer. Consumers can access Worn Wear online to sell and buy used clothing and other gear.

“This is a fundamental (change in) retail. With the Patagonia model you can sell the same product belonging to the same company three or four times, taking profit at different stages. To do that you need durable goods that are repairable. So, repair-ability, durability, upgradability and share-ability are extraordinary things,” said Drew.

RISE OF THE SHARING ECONOMY

The growth of the sharing economy shows consumers increasingly prefer to rent or

borrow goods rather than buy and own them. According to Drew, the sharing economy has a huge potential in helping the world to attain sustainability. Sharing could eventually spell the end for manufacturers producing short-lived goods. To emphasize this point, Drew gave examples of bike-sharing schemes in Germany and innovative services such as rent-a-drill, which are typically made possible by the internet.

According to Drew, people buy electric drills to put a hole in a wall and hang a picture. What the consumer wants is a hole, not a drill. The average Black and Decker drill is used for seven minutes in its lifecycle. For the rest of the time, it’s left in a cupboard somewhere.

“The sharing economy in the UK works in such a way that people who needs to drill a hole in the wall can use an app to rent a drill for a short time of 15 minutes or half an hour,” said Drew.

“People lending those drills don’t want to buy Black and Decker drills, they want to buy drills that are durable and will last. In the end, manufacturers producing short life goods will be thrown away. What is in demand is repairable, up-sizable and reusable goods.”

Drew then moved on to talk about one of his favourite topics, which is how to create a better environment by tackling city waste. After much research into food chains worldwide, Drew is convinced that flies are nature’s recycling agents.

INSECT FARMS SPREAD WINGS

Jason Drew started his company AgriProtein, which gets flies to lay hundreds of millions of eggs on waste food every day. The larvae are then converted into three products: protein, animal feed and a fertilizer made from a blend of larvae and compost.

“I wanted to industrialize the process of growing flies. A fly factory in its simplest form is a cage of flies. We teach them to lay eggs in one place, extract the eggs from those cages and grow them on organic waste from the cities. Our typical factory houses 7.5 billion flies. They lay 300 million eggs. Those 300 million eggs are patched on to 250 tons of waste a day we take from the cities,” Drew explained.

Green Talk

“We take the waste and recycle it to two things. When the larvae eat through the waste we take the larvae and separate them into protein and oil, both of which we try to use in cattle feed preparation,” he said.

According to Drew, so much has been written about how to kill flies but not many have thought about the uses of flies. AgriProtein which was founded in 2008, raised $105 million in a round of funding earlier this year.

“We always think about flies as pests, but they clean up waste, so we created the first industrialized fly factory in the world in Cape Town. We spend nearly $30 million, making the

steps, getting things wrong before we cracked the process of how to industrialize it,” Drew said.

AgriProtein has charted an ambitious growth plan for next year that includes building hubs in California and facilities in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

“How clever will it be if all our food waste is recycled into something that is natural, usable and needed? Within 3-5 years we will be making human grade antibiotics from larvae. So not only are we recycling waste from landfills, we are learning about flies and about their purpose in nature,” said Drew.

61

PLENARY SESSION 4

Moderator Panelists

Susannah StreeterAnchor, World Business

Report, BBC World Service and BBC World TV

UK

Junjie ZhangDirector/Associate

Professor, EnvironmentalResearch Center Master of

Environmental Policy ProgramChina

Fengli Du

Secretary General,China National Solar

Thermal Energy Alliance(CNSTEA)

China

Jiang KejunSenior Researcher, EnergyResearch Institute (ERI),National DevelopmentReform Commission

China

China’s CleanEnergy Strategy

60

Summary Points

Recommendations

Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells have benefitted from Chinese subsidies. After 10 years of development, the market is ready to continue without state support.

Of the 14 Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants being built in China, four are expected to be operational by the end of 2018.

The scale at which China is deploying renewable energy has significantly helped to reduce the cost of clean-tech worldwide.

China has an insufficient power grid capacity, and the high penetration of solar PV and wind power means that resource distribution is uneven across the country.

Subsidies are meant to support new technologies and energy forms, but they should not become a burden on the state. Once renewable energy becomes competitive versus fossil fuels, it is logical to reduce or withdraw subsidies.

Electric vehicles may help reduce pollution in China, but they will not solve traffic congestion. For that, more people need to use public transport.

Setting a long-term government strategy is important and enables the industry to follow. However, if we let the market choose, the situation can get out of control and lead to solar power overcapacity, for example.

Session OverviewGovernment-led investment and manufacturing exports have sustained economic growth in China for the past few decades. But the country’s leaders understand this model is unsustainable and have therefore developed a new economic plan built on domestic consumption and technological innovation that’s powered by clean energy.

As the world’s largest consumer and producer of electricity, and the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, China’s transition to a green economy has significant implications for global energy prices and climate-change mitigation.

Moreover, Chinese manufacturing is changing the economics of renewable energy, making it more competitive and attractive to investors. China now aims to get 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and plans to spend $360 billion on this effort over the next three years.

What will these plans mean for China and for the planet? And how will the country’s recent decision to slash solar subsidies power affect the global energy market? The audience heard from leading Chinese sustainability experts and policymakers as they shared insights into the world’s second-biggest economy.

Plenary Session 4

6362

As the world’s second-largest economy , China’s shift to a green economy and clean energy is creating remarkable demand for enabling technologies and is attracting businesses from all over the globe. The country already leads in many related fields such as solar photovoltaics (PV), Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and other future technologies, said Jiang Kejun, Senior Researcher at China’s Energy Research Institute at the National Development Reform Commission.

This transition can affect other economies in multiple ways – including energy availability and affordability. For instance, as a major renewable energy producer, China has reduced the cost of renewables globally, said Junjie Zhang, Director and Associate Professor at China’s Environmental Research Center Master of Environmental Policy Program .

SOLAR ENERGY UPTAKE

The Chinese government announced it would build the first batch of 20 CSP demonstration projects a few years ago. Of these, 14 are under construction and four should be operational by the end of 2018. These will have a combined capacity of 250 megawatts, according to Fengli Du, Secretary General of China National Solar Thermal Energy Alliance.

Globally, the United States, Morocco, South Africa and Australia have varying installed CSP capacities, and Dubai is now developing 700 megawatts of CSP in its first project to use this technology.

As for PV power, China added as much as 53 gigawatts (GW) of capacity in 2017 alone, having added 34.5 GW the previous year. In total, the country has about 130 GW of installed PV capacity as of 2018. At such a scale, China has helped to significantly bring down the prices of solar panel raw materials.

PV technology has benefitted from Chinese subsidies, and the decision to withdraw these subsidies in mid-2018 came as a shock to the industry. However, experts believe it was a logical move.

“As renewable energies become more competitive, it’s very natural to decrease subsidies on them. Because eventually renewables will need to compete with fossil fuels. Secondly, subsidies cause a market distortion, and have become a big burden on the Chinese government,” said Zhang.

Du shared a similar opinion, saying that subsidies should support new technologies. After 10 years of solar PV development in China, the market is ready to support itself. The Chinese government still has plans to use solar PV electricity for poverty elimination, housing and many other projects.

MULTIPLE CHALLENGES

China has set ambitious targets to reduce air pol-lution and carbon dioxide emissions, but swit-ching to vehicles that are not powered by burning fossils will not solve China’s biggest problem, which is congestion. The country must use public transport more if it is to improve its air quality.

On the potential of social problems arising from China’s clean energy transition, such as job losses due to coal mine closures, Zhang said that this was a concern. Although the government pena-lises fossil fuels because of their environmental consequences, it should not penalise the indus-try’s workers. It is therefore important that ma-nufacturers and energy producers gradually swit-ch to more environmentally-friendly alternatives, giving employees in these old industries time to find new jobs.

Another challenge in China’s transition to a green economy is insufficient power grid capacity. The high penetration of solar PV and wind power means that resource distribution is uneven across the country. Consumer demand for electricity is in east.

Plenary Session 4

As renewable energies become more competitive, it’s very natural to decrease subsidies on themBecause eventually renewables will need to compete with fossil fuelsJunjie Zhang,Director/Associate Professor, Environmental Research Center Masterof Environmental Policy ProgramChina

China, yet the best sites for solar power and hy-dropower are in the northwest. Therefore, Chi-na needs to build new transmission lines so that clean power can be sent from west to east.

That said, the government should consider why solar and wind cannot be utilised in the first place. It is because these resources suffer from volatility, said Du. In comparison, CSP plants benefit from low-cost thermal energy storage that can deliver the power at night when there is no sunshine.

“For the 2020 plan, solar PV has met the goals, exceeding the 100 GW target. That’s why it has become difficult for the state grid and transmis-sion lines, because construction cannot follow the speed of solar PV deployment,” explained Du. “That is why we cannot fully utilize the solar en-ergy and have to abandon some of it. Setting a long-term government strategy is very important and the industry shall follow. If we let the market choose, it will have no end.”

Plenary Session 4

For the 2020 plan,solar PV has met the goals, exceeding the 100 GW target. That’s why it has become difficult for the state grid and transmission lines, because construction cannot follow the speed of solar PV deploymentFengli Du,Secretary General of China NationalSolar Thermal Energy Alliance

65

PLENARY SESSION 5

Moderator Panelists

Edem BakhshishGlobal Director,

World Green EconomyOrganization

UAE

Gerd DroesseGeneral Counsel,

World Green EconomyOrganization

UAE

Tomoo Machiba

Policy Advisor,Ministry of Climate Change

and EnvironmentUAE

Launch of the 2018 World Green Economy Report :Inspiring Innovations inBusiness, Finance and Policy

64

Summary Points

Recommendations

A worldwide transition to a green economy is underway, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

To attract private sector companies to the green economy, it is important to provide a good investment ecosystem.

The main challenge for local organizations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is in how to implement innovations suggested by international organizations.

Policy innovation provides direction for the green economy and allows talent and capital to flow into these innovations.

Green economy stakeholders should not neglect investing in green education.

It is essential to leverage the potential and competencies of the private sector while transitioning to a green economy.

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the potential funding from the private sector should be fully explored.

The World Green Economy Organization (WGEO) should play a crucial role in identifying and building on some of the good practices emerging worldwide.

Session OverviewThe World Green Economy Report is an important reference tool for green economy organizations worldwide. It brings together the champions of the green economy and can help accelerate the smooth transition towards a green economy.

This special session was devoted to the inaugural edition of the World Green Economy Report, which is titled “Inspiring Innovations in Business, Finance and Policy”. Panelists discussed their personal observations, commented on the report’s most important findings and debated its recommendations.

Plenary Session 5

Aris VrettosDirector, International Programs,University, Cambridge Institutefor Sustainability Leadership

UK

Dr. Kishan KhodayTeam Leader in the Arab

Region, Climate Change, DRR andResilience, Sustainable Energy andthe Environment, United Nations

Development ProgrammeJordan

6766

Edem Bakhshish, Global Director of the World Green Economy Organization, analyzed the 2018 World Green Economy Report and asked each of his panelists to reflect on its key points and share their observations and recommendations.

Aris Vrettos, Director of International Programs at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, said the report shows corporations the opportunities that the green economy could create and is also a wakeup call for all those still debating whether the green economy is going to happen.

“The transition to the green economy is underway and is looking at innovations in all sectors around the world. It is also creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. However, the real risk is in falling behind and failing to adapt to some of the changes created by the green economy and that applies not just to companies, but also to cities and governments,” said Vrettos.

The report talks about an impressive array of innovations and eye-catching projects around the world that are creating benefits for countries and cities, Vrettos said, citing the example of Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is under the auspices of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.

According to Vrettos, there are many examples of companies using waste as a resource, and new companies signing up for science-based research are very useful. He also highlighted the section of the report that explores policy innovations.

“Policy provides direction to the green economy and allows talent and capital to flow into those innovations,” said Vrettos. “One of the key aspects of the report is what is coming next or what should we expect. In the areas of government, I think we can expect more regulations to facilitate the green economy.”

Vrettos said green economy stakeholders should not neglect investing in green education. “We will need more skills and new collaborations. That is why investing in the right type of education, let’s call it green education, is very critical in (reaching) the green economy’s next stage,” he added.

ON THE RIGHT PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) is one of the agreed goals of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UAE is prioritizing incorporating SCP into dailybusiness and life. For example, the UAE’s Green Growth Strategy supports SCP.

“The report mentions the UAE’s role in driving

SDGs. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has been playing an important role in implementing SDGs and is now developing the national SCP action plan with a focus on developing green cities, sustainable food, procurement and consumption,” said Tomoo Machiba, Policy Advisor on Green Economy Development, UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

According to Machiba, the report’s two main points that should be highlighted are the need to attract private sector investments and the importance of the transparency. “We strongly believe that to achieve results we must monitor our progress at every stage and measure performance. Therefore, we have set 41 UAE Green Key Performance Indicators, which cover the economic, social and developmental aspects of the sustainable development in line with the national KPIs of Vision 2021,” said Machiba.

The role of the private sector in transitioning to a green economy is essential. “The UAE is leading the way with some initiatives such as working with more than 30 organizations from the private sector,” said Machiba.

ROLE OF INNOVATIVE FINANCE AND PARTNERSHIPS

A little over 10 years remain to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and so there is a major need to expand policies in finance, partnerships and innovation to achieve these targets.

“As we move ahead to the 2030 agenda, the gap in financing the sustainable goals is $2.5 trillion in developing countries. So, scaling up and accelerating innovative partnerships is a course the report highlights,” said Dr. Kishan Khoday, Team Leader in the Arab Region, Climate Change, DRR and Resilience, Sustainable Energy and the Environment, the United Nations Development Programme.

The report highlights that while there is much progress, there’s a huge need for more finance in lower and middle income countries. According to Khoday, the report also makes an important point about innovative policy. “We have partnership offices in 35 countries around the world and have planned grant assistance of more than $3 billion to our country partners specifically on environment and for capacities identified in the report,” said Khoday.

Gerd Droesse, General Counsel at the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO), UAE concurred with Khoday, saying the report has many interesting proposals and good examples, but the main challenge for national organizations in attaining their sustainable development goals is how to implement these innovations and proposals.

Plenary Session 5

“International organizations need to find new ways to provide assistance in a manner that involves all stakeholders. In that sense, WGEO reflects important paradigm shifts, which includes the inclusion of the various stakeholders, notably the private sector, when it comes to implementing its policies and approaches,” said Droesse.

CHALLENGES THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED

The World Green Economy Report talks about a fascinating array of green business models and start-ups that use technologies such as AIand blockchain. WGEO can create a critical platform to establish meaningful dialogue between private and public stakeholders, said Vrettos.

Machiba from the environment ministry agreed. “There is a wealth of innovation opportunities, other opportunities, resources are out there. WGEO can play as an important role in connecting the dots, reaching stakeholders and creating a platform for better synergies,” Machiba said.

According to Khoday, WGEO can play a crucial role in identifying and building on some of the good practices emerging worldwide. “There is so much going on in terms of making progress on sustainable energy and water access. On the acceleration front there are lots of successes coming out and the question is how we replicate them. WGEO can play a role in that in consort with the UN and other international institutions,” he said.

Droesse ended the session by reiterating the importance of leveraging on finance. According to him, in the past, international organizations obtained most of their funding from the public sector, but that should not be the case today. “WGEO has recommended that the full potential of funding from the private sector should be explored and it is important to provide a good ecosystem of investments for the private sector,” Droesse concluded.

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Emirates Energy Award Announcement

Emirates Energy Award Announcement

On the second day of the World Green Economy Summit 2018 on October 25, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy launched the fourth round of the Emirates Energy Award (EEA).

EEA 2020 will coincide with Expo 2020, and so it offers the perfect opportunity to show visitors what the city has achieved towards sustainability and green growth.

Launched in 2013, EEA has completed three cycles - in 2013, 2015 and 2017 - and is currently in its fourth cycle. Submissions will be accepted from March 1 to December 31, 2019.The award ceremony will be held in October 2020.

Taher Diab, Senior Director of Strategy & Planning at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Secretary General of Emirates Energy Award, said organizers were looking forward to fostering a culture of innovation and increasing awareness of efficiency and energy conservation. The bi-annual award also plays an important role in positioning Dubai as a global sustainability hub.

Moreover, new award categories have been added, including distributed rooftop solar and applied research and development. The number categories has increased from six to 10.

“Our objective at EEA is to drive the green economy. In order to do that, we added new award categories,” said H.E. Ahmad Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Vice President of the Executive Committee of the EEA.

Altogether, EEA has received 424 applications from over 30 countries since its inception. Half of these entries have come from the MENA region, which is the focus of the award. However, any project that has made a social or environmental impact will be considered.

“Even if it is outside our criteria, we don’t ignore it, and we don’t reject applications that come from other countries. We look into it and see whether it can be recognised. It can always go under the special recognition awards, said Dr. Eassa Al Bastaki, President of the University of Dubai and Chairman of the EEA Technical Committee.

The recipients of the 2017 Emirates Energy Award in the World Green Economy Summit

EMIRATES ENERGY AWARDInspiring Innovation for Sustainable Energyتعــزيــز االبـتكـــــار لطــاقـــة مســتدامـــــة

www.emiratesenergyaward.com

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Dubai Declaration 2018

H.E. Saeed Al Tayer

Managing Director andCEO of Dubai Electricityand Water Authority andChairman of WGES

H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and Chairman of WGES, announced the Dubai Declaration 2018 at the conclusion of the event.

“Since its inception in 2014, the summit has made great progress and many achievements, notably increased cooperation between decision-makers from the public and private sectors. Over 3,700 participants - consisting of global experts, thought leaders and business leaders in the green economy and sustainable development - have participated in WGES 2018 to discuss key issues such as climate change and global warming” said Al Tayer.

“This summit is especially important, because it has set the journey towards the adoption and signature of the agreement establishing the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO). We sincerely hope that we can count many of your countries amongst the original members of WGEO, who have a very important role in shaping its future” he added.

Al Tayer expressed concern over the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) report that details the consequences of failing to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“Nonetheless we are optimistic, as we know that it can be achieved by harvesting the capabilities of the private sector to make their industries and sectors green,” said Al Tayer. “This is why we are here, to form and focus an engine of green transformation built on diversity and entrepreneurship”.

One of Dubai’s major green projects is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the world’s largest single-site solar park. The complex will have a capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW) by 2030 and will include the world’s largest single-site Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project with a capacity of 700 MW.

Speaking about the summit’s priorities, Al Tayer said WGES 2018 focused on three main pillars including ‘Green Capital’, which has been central to discussions at this year’s summit. This comes shortly after the WGEO and the Global Green Growth Institute signed a partnership agreement in Dubai to fast-track green investments into bankable smart city projects.

Dubai Declaration 2018

Dubai Declaration 2018

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AT THE FOREFRONT OF SUSTAINABILITYPart of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s Green Week Initiative

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