On 13 November 2012 the Foundation co-hosted a meeting titled “Arab women leading the way in energy and climate change” with the Directorate of Energy and Climate Change at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy compa
On 13 November 2012 the Foundation co-hosted a meeting titled “Arab women leading the way in energy and climate change” with the Directorate of Energy and Climate Change at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company.
The meeting was held in Dubai on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum Summit and highlighted the active engagement of women leaders across the Gulf and Arab region in addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development.
Addressing the women’s majlis, Mary Robinson said: “Women’s contributions – political, economic, social and environmental – are central to tackling the global challenges we face today. Women can play an important role in bringing about positive societal transformations. For this reason, there is a real need to catalyse women’s leadership as gender equality and women’s empowerment will contribute to a more just world for all.”
Ms. Robinson went on to say that “COP18 provides an important opportunity for the region to show leadership on climate change. There is renewed hope that next month in Qatar, countries can agree to act together to take positive action on climate change and embrace a new model of development, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions, builds resilience to climate change and delivers sustainable development for all.”
In his address, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change and Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said: “With the UN climate change negotiations being held in our region for the first time, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) will receive significant international attention in the coming weeks. Women are an integral part of our society. Empowering women, will, without a doubt, equip them with the ability to take on an active and participatory role in advancing sustainable development and addressing climate change concerns.”
Moderated by Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, member of the Federal National Council and Chief Executive Officer, twofour54, a panel explored opportunities to enhance women’s participation at COP18 and identified gender-climate outcomes that women would like to see from the negotiations.
The panel included Dr. Amal Al Ghaferi, Faculty, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology; Audrey Choi, Managing Director and Head, Morgan Stanley Global Sustainable Finance; Beatrix Schmülling, CDM Implementation Team Leader, Masdar; Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf, Executive Director, Institute for Human Capital Development (IDHC), Zayed University; Eng. Maryam Al Balooshi, Environment Manager, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and Sarah Al-Dorani of the COP18 Presidency Team.
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