Abu Dhabi To Host First-Ever Green Business Summit 2018

The Economist Events, part of the global English-language weekly newspaper The Economist, is hosting the first-ever Green Business Summit in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, April 17th, 2018. The Summit will focus on the effect of economic growth on the natural environment, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and how businesses and the private sector can align growth with sustainable development.

Sponsored by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) and co-sponsored by the Department of Economic Development (DED), the event will be a knowledge-sharing and networking forum for people interested in business operations, environmental conservation and the development of future green industries.Internationally-recognised experts will convene in Abu Dhabi to discuss issues in policymaking, climate finance (such as impact investing), and how sustainability can complement the region’s core industries.

Her Excellency RazanKhalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi said, “The timeliness of this summit could not be more opportune in many ways. This year we are celebrating Year of Zayed that marks 100 years since the birth of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE. He was the founder of the Environment Agency and the first to care for the environment by enacting laws and regulations to protect its biodiversity.”

“But law and regulations are not enough. We need a rapid transformation of our economy to a green economy model that decouples growth from its environmental impact, which is resource efficient and less polluting, is competitive and knowledge-based and provides a platform to develop green technology, products and services. Achieving these ambitious goals and transforming our economy will not happen on its own. We need a collective impact effort driven by a partnership of the different sectors of the economy – government, businesses, academia, advocacy bodies and various other communities. We expect that the Green Business Summit provides a platform to stimulate cross-sector collaboration” added H.E. Al Mubarak.