Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week reimagined for 2021 to help set agenda for green recovery from COVID-19

ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the global platform for accelerating sustainable development, hosted by Masdar, will be held from 18 to 21 January 2021 and reimagined virtually.

ADSW 2021 will feature a series of high-level virtual events, including the ADSW Summit, IRENA Assembly, Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, Youth 4 Sustainability Virtual Forums and the World Future Energy Summit Webinars.

His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chairman of Masdar, said: "As our economies and industries begin to recover from the impact of the global pandemic, we have an opportunity to set ambitious goals, invest in new technologies and put the necessary policies in place that will deliver a sustainable recovery. Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week embodies the United Arab Emirate's proactive and forward-thinking approach to climate change and sustainability and underlines the UAE's role as a responsible, solutions oriented global citizen, enabling dialogue to be turned into action."

H.E. Dr Sultan Al Jaber will be delivering a keynote speech at the ADSW Summit, which will feature more than 70 high-level speakers from around the world, including H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Head of State, Principality of Monaco, who will give a keynote speech on national resilience in the context of Coivid-19.

The speakers at the one-day virtual ADSW Summit will also include: H.R.H Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, Founder and CEO, KBW Ventures; H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director and Group CEO Mubadala Investment Company; H.E. Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment of the Republic of Singapore; H.E. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder & CEO, Kalimat Publishing Group; H.E. Eng. Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, Francesco La Camera, Director General, IRENA; Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director UN-Habitat; Noel Quinn, Group Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Holdings; Laurence Fink, Chairman and CEO BlackRock; and Dr. Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer, Microsoft, in addition to many other high - level speakers.

Taking place virtually on Tuesday 19 January, Masdar will host the ADSW Summit, which will over three two-hour sessions focus on the pillars of "Live & Move," "Care & Engage," and "Work & Invest," with each pillar exploring social, economic and technological opportunities to achieve a 'green recovery' post COVID-19.

H.E. Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), said: "The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week is a testament and extension of ADGM's commitment towards fulfilling the UAE and Abu Dhabi's vision of an innovative, sustainable, and knowledge-based economy. As the world strives towards recovery, we can all do our part in advocating greater adoption of sustainable practices and climate change action to the benefit of our people and future generations. At ADGM, we will continue to work closely with partners to double-down on efforts and knowledge-sharing, such as the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, to accelerate sustainable financing and innovative activities that boost robust economic development and growth in the UAE, and support the wider region."

H.E. Eng. Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, ADSW's Principal Partner said: "The social and economic challenges posed by Covid-19 have emphasized the need to act collectively to push the sustainability agenda and scale up the green transition as an engine for a healthy recovery. Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week is an ideal platform to deploy the strength of the global community as it brings together world leaders and industry experts to discuss the most pressing issues that impact our environment and sustainable growth. We look forward to insightful discussions that uncover the combined effect of energy, water, food and environment policies, and to decisive global action for sustainable development in the post-pandemic era."

Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, said: "The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause unprecedented levels of disruption to lives all over the world. But the recovery period offers energy policy makers and the investment community a moment to realign their decisions and actions with sustainable growth, economic resilience, and shared prosperity. The IRENA Assembly and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week represent a starting point for a year that we must come to define as pivotal in our pursuit of a sustainable future."

Through initiatives and events, ADSW is committed to the sharing of knowledge, implementation of strategies and the delivery of real-world solutions to address the challenges related to sustainability and climate change. As the first global event in the UAE's Golden Jubilee year, ADSW 2021 will help galvanize further collaboration among government, business and community stakeholders to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

For over a decade, Abu Dhabi has provided a sustainable platform for the global community that has grown through its initiatives and events to emerge as a thought leader and catalyst that accelerates sustainable development around the world.

The 2020 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week hosted around 45,000 attendees from 170 countries, with more than 500 high-level speakers from around the world.

To ensure the safety of all participants, ADSW 2021 and all related high-level events will take place virtually. The physical program of ADSW will return in 2022.

For more information please visit: http://www.masdar.ae and connect: facebook.com/masdar.ae and twitter.com/masdar