Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week summit to drive climate change talks ahead of Cop28

A series of events related to energy and sustainability will be held in the emirate in January 2023

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will take place from January 14 to January 19 next year. PA

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) summit is set to drive the discussion around climate change before Cop28.

The event, which will take place on January 16, will focus on a wide range of critical topics such as food and water security, energy access, industrial decarbonisation, health and climate adaptation, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said on Friday.

Abu Dhabi's flagship ADSW is a global platform intended to hasten sustainable development.

“For over 15 years, ADSW has reinforced the UAE’s commitment to addressing global challenges as a responsible leader driving climate action and sustainable economic development,” said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Special Envoy for Climate Change and chairman of Masdar.

“ADSW 2023 will help shape the sustainability agenda and drive momentum toward Cop28 in the UAE by convening the global community and facilitating meaningful dialogue to foster consensus, ground-breaking partnerships and innovative solutions.”

ADSW, which will run from January 14 to January 19, will bring together heads of state, policymakers and industry leaders for a series of dialogues on the transition to a net-zero future.

Key stakeholders will discuss priorities for the global climate agenda at Cop28, which will be held in the UAE from November 30 to December 12, 2023.

“The world needs a just and inclusive energy transition that supports the needs of developing nations while ensuring a more sustainable future for us all,” said Dr Al Jaber, who is also managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc.

This year's ADSW comes against the backdrop of a global energy crisis that has left countries in Europe and elsewhere scrambling for alternative energy sources.

For the first time, the week-long event will feature a Green Hydrogen Summit, which will highlight the fuel’s potential to decarbonise key industries while helping countries to achieve their net-zero objectives.

Hydrogen, which can be produced using both renewable energy and natural gas, is expected to play a key role in the coming years as economies and industries transition to a low-carbon world to mitigate climate change.

Globally, the size of the hydrogen industry is expected to hit $183 billion by 2023, up from $129 billion in 2017, according to Fitch Solutions.

French investment bank Natixis estimates that investment in hydrogen will exceed $300 billion by 2030.

As in previous years, ADSW will feature a series of events, including the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) Assembly, the Atlantic Council Energy Forum, the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum and the World Future Energy Summit.

The UAE, Opec’s third-largest oil producer, is pursuing goals to reduce its carbon footprint and became the first country in the Middle East to set a net-zero target last year.

The Emirates plans to invest $160 billion in clean and renewable energy sources over the next three decades.

It is building the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park in Dubai with a five-gigawatt capacity. Abu Dhabi, which is developing a two-gigawatt solar plant in Al Dhafra region, has set a target of 5.6 gigawatts of solar PV capacity by 2026.