The Department of Energy’s Chairman His Excellency Eng. Awaidha Murshed Al Marar delivered the opening address at the Future Sustainability Summit, the prominent international platform held in parallel with Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2019.
H.E. Al Marar addressed several prominent decision makers, experts, thinkers and innovators at the event, shedding light on various regional and international sustainability issues, and calling for uniting international efforts to shape a better and more prosperous future.
The DoE Chairman began his speech with a call to strengthen cooperation and establish solid partnerships to overcome challenges facing regional and international sustainability, urging stakeholders to increase the pace of joint work in determining the trends shaping the energy sector in the future – especially in light of rapid transformations such as the increasing shift towards renewable resources, changing consumption patterns, and the proliferation of modern technologies that enhance efficiency, quality, and sustainability. Bearing these transformations in mind, the Government of Abu Dhabi sought to establish the Department of Energy to guide policymaking and strategy setting and ensure the continuity of this key sector, which is rudimentary for shaping future generations.
“In its broad definition, sustainability means far more than ensuring economic growth and achieving gains; sustainability is a culture and a set of procedures that include, among many other things, building capacities to keep up with the rapid developments transforming the sector. Here in the United Arab Emirates, our investments in energy resources have enjoyed tremendous success, enhancing the sector’s contribution to sustainable development. Coupled with our dedication to forecasting the future and preparing for all possible variables, this success has set the foundations for an experience unparalleled in the region, where the UAE irrefutably demonstrated its ability to adapt to the radical transformations brought about by the discovery of oil,” H.E. Al Marar said.
“We have placed our natural resources at the centre of our wider plans to diversify our national sources of income, and today, we are better prepared than ever to celebrate exporting our last shipment of oil by 2050,” H.E. continued. “Launching the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 reflects the forward-thinking vision of our wise leadership, who has long underlined the necessity of planning ahead – starting now and through the next three decades – to increase individual and corporate consumption efficiency by 40 per cent, boosting clean energy’s share of the UAE’s energy mix to 50 per cent, which would save nearly 700 billion dirhams by 2050. The Strategy relies on a mix of renewable, nuclear and clean fossil energy to strike balance between economic needs and environmental objectives.”
The DoE Chairman went on to assure that the Department has firmly set its sights on implementing the emirate’s plans for sustainability, setting laws and legislation that underline Abu Dhabi’s leading role in the energy sector, all while whetting foreign investors’ appetite.
H.E. then discussed the Department’s newly launched Abu Dhabi Integrated Energy Model – the first of its kind in the region. “The Model presents a new and ground-breaking vision that resonates with the transformations sweeping across the energy sector and maximises our benefits from natural and renewable resources,” he noted. “It adopts smart technologies and compares all available solutions to select the optimal choice from a cost, environment and supply chain security perspective. The Model lays the groundwork for a collaborative platform that brings together all strategic partners to strengthen coordination and foster ambitious joint plans within the energy sector.”
H.E. Al Marar concluded his address with a reference to current challenges, saying: “We are at a critical stage of redrawing the strategies for the future. With that in mind, we, at the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, sought to be the Principal Partner for Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2019, which will bear the theme ‘Industry Convergence: Accelerating Sustainable Development’. We look forward to coordinating with our strategic partners to establish new business models, combine various technologies and propose solutions for sustainability. We urge all partners to speed up processes and plans to protect the environment and maintain rapid growth across all vital economic sectors.”
