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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

United on climate action towards COP 28

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) is a global initiative championed by the UAE and its clean energy powerhouse Masdar to accelerate sustainable development and advance economic, social and environmental progress.

For over 15 years, ADSW has reinforced the UAE’s commitment to addressing global challenges as a responsible leader on climate action, energy transition and sustainable economic development.

Born from a firm belief that global challenges can only be addressed through inclusive engagement, ADSW has brought together heads of state, policymakers, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and youth to discuss, engage and debate climate action and innovations that will ensure a sustainable world.

Masdar has partnered with Reuters Plus to highlight key conversations from the events, around climate action: from technological innovation to the next game-changing ideas, we hope to increase engagement and investment to drive sustainability.

How COP28 can deliver for the Global South 

With COP28 taking place in the UAE later this year, attention has turned to how the shift to net zero over the coming decades doesn’t lead to growing energy inequality. Reuters Plus spoke to Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO of Sustainable Energy for All and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for SEforAll, on how the world can ensure a fair transition for the Global South. 

From arid to arable: Why tech could stop desertification 

Desertification and the loss of arable land is a major issue facing the world, with the UN warning in 2019 that 24 billion tonnes of fertile land is lost every year. Coupled with a growing population, it highlights the pressing need for agricultural innovations that can meet the growing demand for food, whilst also increasing biodiversity. Reuters Plus spoke to Aquagrain during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week about the issue, and how it might be changed.  

Star-gazing to help tackle climate change

From the development of wireless headsets to advancements in photovoltaic cells used in solar panels, space exploration has led to many inventions we now use everyday. Now, with the world wrestling a climate crisis, some hope the scientific advancements used to explore space can inspire the next generation of climate solutions back on earth. Omar Fayed, CEO of ESTEE, outlined his vision at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week to harness that technology. 

Masdar eyes 100 gigawatt renewable capacity by 2030 

Masdar is staking a claim to be the largest renewable energy company in the world as it targets at least 100 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030. It comes after Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) and Mubadala recently became shareholders in Masdar. Reuters Plus spoke to Masdar’s Chief Financial Officer, Niall Hannigan, about their plans for rapid expansion. 

Wasted opportunity: How circular economies help the climate 

It might not be as headline-grabbing as fossil fuel emissions, but how people, companies and governments manage waste has a major impact on the climate. In fact, the UN estimates landfills and wastewater produce around a fifth of world’s human-caused methane emissions. Reuters Plus spoke to Hani Tohme from Roland Berger during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, who pointed to the need for more focus on building circular economies. 

‘54 countries, not a continent’: A rethink on decarbonising Africa 

Amid focus on policies to decarbonise global economies and reduce emissions ahead of COP28, it’s critical that there’s a fair energy transition for all. Those are the thoughts of climate activist and podcast host Abigael Kima, who spoke at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week about the need to reduce energy inequality and reframe how climate change is discussed concerning Africa.  

The drinking water tech tackling water inequality  

Bangladesh is a country acutely aware of climate risk, with tropical cyclones costing the country around US$1 billion annually, according to the World Bank Group. That, coupled with the impact from flooding, coastal erosion and climate change, means there’s a growing need to find innovative solutions to provide accessible and safe drinking water. LEDARS has helped deliver over 5,000 bio-sands filters and other water filtration systems, to help those without access to clean water. We spoke to their executive director about their plans for future growth, having just won the Zayed Sustainability Prize at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 

Could you stomach an insect diet to fight climate change? 

Amid a growing global population, the race is on to find ways to feed more people without further damaging the climate.  One solution could see consumers swapping their burger for a plate of protein-rich bugs. At Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week ReutersPlus spoke to Ÿnsect, a leader in the production of insect ingredients, about how they plan to build awareness of insect-based food after they clinched the Zayed Sustainability Prize for innovation in food. 

Shining a light on blindness in the Amazon 

Every year the Zayed Sustainability Prize recognises and rewards those trying to find innovative solutions to global challenges. This year, Brazilian non-profit EDS clinched the medical award for their work building remote hospitals that provide critical healthcare to people living in remote indigenous communities in the Amazon. Watch the full interview from Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week to find out how their works is giving people back their sight.  

ADSW powers up project to bring 24/7 electricity to refugees 

The Zayed Sustainability Prize is a key feature of the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, shining a spotlight on people, non-profits and enterprises helping to improve people’s lives. During 15 years of the award, 96 winners have been crowned, helping to impact people in over 150 countries. This year the energy category was awarded to NeuroTech, for their work using AI and blockchain to bring reliable power to refugee camps and provide refugees with electricity 24/7.

The prize winning pump hoping to sink water scarcity

Water scarcity is growing around the world, with an urgent need to find affordable and accessible solutions. The Zayed Sustainability Prize seeks to reward those already making a positive impact on the planet. We spoke to the winner of the water category, David Pong, about his efforts to bring water pumps to remote regions.

The cancer detecting tech tackling healthcare inequality

The need for equitable access to healthcare is an issue that's been heightened by the pandemic. Mamotest is an Argentinian firm using technology to provide diagnostic tools to spot breast cancer early. We spoke to its CEO, Guillermo Pepe, after he received the Zayed Sustainability Prize for health during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

The 'green avalanche' of ESG investing

The fight against climate change has seen ESG become part of the investment lexicon. It stands for Environment, Social and Governance, and it is leading to more investors considering non-financial factors when deciding where to put their money. Habib Abdur-Rahman from Investcorp spoke to us at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week about the 'green avalanche' of ESG.

How AI can help beat Malaria

The World Health Organisation recently backed a malaria vaccine that could help tackle the disease, but it's not the only new tool available. The Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi have partnered with Malaria No More to provide predictive software to help scientists; they spoke to us about how it can be used to combat malaria.

Who's paying for the energy transition?

The transition of global economies to sustainable energy sources is a hot topic, but less widely discussed is who will pay for it all. Credit Agricole spoke to us at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week about how the transition might impact consumers.

Does Africa need a new green deal?

What challenges remain in tackling climate change after the recent COP26 summit? How fast and widely global economies transition to sustainable energy could remain a sticking point for some time. It's not the only issue, Directory-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, Francesco La Camera, outlined to us why he thinks Africa needs a green deal.

How to make net zero add up

Corporate responsibility will likely become an increasingly important theme as the push towards greater sustainability grows. Eugene Williamson from PepsiCo spoke to us at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week about the complexities of reaching bold green targets and how it will need cooperation at all levels.

How unstable energy prices could impact sustainability

Recent volatility in LNG prices have seen consumers in some countries face mounting energy bills in the midst of winter. It raises the issue of how to ensure a stable and affordable transition away from fossil fuels, one that doesn't bite consumers. We spoke to Nabil A. Habayeb from GE International Markets about the challenge ahead.

Is green hydrogen's future golden?

With countries looking to slash carbon emissions, green hydrogen has been much vaunted as a potential sustainable solution. However, the technology is still in its early days, with a long way to go before it becomes commercially viable on a large scale. We caught up with ENGIE during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week to dig deeper into what might lie ahead for the technology.

UAE eyes asteroids in latest mission

The UAE's space programme has grown rapidly in recent years with the Gulf state setting a new milestone in 2020 with the successful launch of its Mars probe. We caught up with H.E. Salem Al Qubaisi, the Director General of the UAE Space Agency, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week to discuss their plan explore asteroids.

United on climate action towards COP 28

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