UAE delegation concludes successful participation in Global Green Growth Week

The UAE delegation, headed by Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), concluded a successful participation in the Global Green Growth Week (GGGW), held from 5-9 September in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea.

The event, hosted by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), gathered around 1,200 participants from more than 50 countries representing governments, the private sector and civil society, to discuss innovative solutions to sustainability challenges. .

In his congratulatory remarks during the Korea-China CEO Roundtable on Sustainable Development, one of the key sessions that tackle low carbon, green business opportunities in the context of bilateral trade, Dr. Al Zeyoudi emphasised the critical role that businesses play in driving green growth forward as innovators and investors and the important role of governments in providing an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the global green economy. .

Dr. Al Zeyoudi also led the UAE Country Focus Session titled ‘Building a Solid Momentum for Green Growth’, where the UAE delegation shared key takeaways from the UAE’s experience in institutionalizing green growth from the unique perspective of a hydrocarbon-based economy. .

"The UAE has set itself an ambitious target: to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and transform itself into a knowledge-based, diversified, and innovation-driven economy. Given the solid global momentum on climate action, the timing for decisive action could not be more opportune. The UAE is demonstrating that even traditional hydrocarbon-based economies can lead the transformation," said Dr. Al Zeyoudi. .

The UAE delegation also took part in one of the thematic streams focusing on financing green energy, which explored ways to unblock the barriers to capital flow for the implementation of clean energy initiatives. The UAE discussed the case study of gradually shifting to low carbon growth through its flagship projects such as the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park, the largest solar power plant in the Middle East. The project’s market-driven mechanism drastically improves its competitiveness in using clean energy which is evident in the 2.99 US cents per kW leveled cost awarded for its third phase project. .

During GGGI Council meeting, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment valued GGGI’s contribution to the development of the UAE Green Growth Strategy and Green Agenda. .

Dr. Al Zeyoudi also stressed on UAE’s commitment to continue sharing knowledge and experiences with other countries seeking green growth opportunities in the MENA region and around the world. .

He noted that the UAE is looking forward to receiving the UAE’s Country Planning Framework, which will identify additional steps of GGGI’s contributions to the UAE’s green growth endeavors. .

The UAE delegation also participated in several side events, thematic sessions, and bilateral meetings. The members of the delegation were; Engr. Hussain Hassan Mohamed Khansaheb, Director of Green Development, MOCCAE; Sameer Jamil Assaf, Policy Advisor, MOCCAE; Engr. Fatima Al Habshi, Sustainability Engineer, MOCCAE; and Marwa Al Amiri, the international organisations coordinator, MOCCAE. .

The GGGW is a global platform for knowledge exchange on country experiences in green growth planning and implementation, in which the UAE has actively participated in the past. This year’s GGGW focused on how to reorient growth to be more pro-poor, inclusive, and sustainable.