Business & Money | Tuesday 31 March, 2015 11:29 am |

Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the 2nd World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2015 will be held from 22-23 April at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre. WGES enhances Dubai’s position as a global hub for green economy and supports the Innovation Strategy, which is the cornerstone of sustainable development. DEWA organises WGES under the umbrella of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy in conjunction with the 17th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2015) whose theme is At the Forefront of Sustainability.
“Conferences, forums, and other events related to sustainable development and renewable energy play an integrated role in building a sustainable environment that supports long-term economic growth. They help achieve the vision of our wise leadership in this important area. They support the UAE Vision 2021 and the Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make the UAE one of the global leaders of sustainability and a hub for the export and re-export of green products and technologies,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, and President of WGES.
“WGES and WETEX are two of the most important events related to sustainable development. They seek to achieve the success of green economy in the UAE. Each is a global platform to showcase the latest international technologies and best practices in sustainable development and green economy,” he added.
WGES 2015 will enhance the direction towards green economy by providing programmes and facilitating discussions and topics to develop viewpoints and ideas that will be discussed at the 21st gathering of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris, the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change, the laws and regulations related to climate change and leadership in climate change, the role played by young people in driving change, the role of public-private partnerships in protecting global climate, innovation and funding, and new solutions.
Over 2,000 people are expected to attend WGES 2015 from over 40 countries.
“WETEX supports this direction as one of the largest specialised and comprehensive exhibitions in the world. It brings together participation from the energy, water, environment, sustainable development, oil, and gas sectors under one roof. WETEX is an ideal platform for them to showcase their services, make deals, and connect with partners and customers,” he added.
“This integration and coordination combine efforts to provide effective solutions and real contributions to achieve a sustainable future and enhance the position of the UAE in general and Dubai in particular as a global hub for green economy. This emphasises its competitiveness and the sustainability of development and preserves its environment for generations to come,” concluded Al Tayer.
“We aim to innovate and establish sustainable renewable-energy solutions that contribute to achieving a sustainable future for all, in line with the UAE’s Innovation Strategy 2015. WGES will feature sessions, workshops, and seminars that provide a stimulating environment for innovation. These will be administered by a number of decision makers, CEOs, scientists, experts, researchers, and international analysts. The Summit will adopt several initiatives to encourage Emirati skills in innovation and entrepreneurship and enhance partnerships between the public and private sectors,” said Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at DEWA, and Vice President of WGES.