Ahead of COP28, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Invites Inclusive Dialogue on Climate Action
By Manvi Pant
The global sustainability initiative championed by UAE, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), kicked off with an impressive start on January 14th. The platform, sponsored by the global leader in renewable energy, Masdar, was seen as a prelude to the United Nations Climate Change Conference slated to happen in the UAE in December this year.
As the country strives to diversify from oil to green energy, ADSW further contributed to its agenda and vision for the future to become a global hub and a successful model of the new green economy. The first major climate conference of this year marked the presence of several world leaders, investors, policymakers, scientists, and academicians from across the globe. It encouraged a series of impactful discussions around the theme ‘United on Climate Action Toward COP28’.
While welcoming leaders from every section of society, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed emphasized that UAE is making rigorous efforts to find feasible and pragmatic solutions to climate change issues and is relentless in its pursuit of achieving Net Zero by 2050. The key stakeholders present at the event outlined transformative actions on climate and health. Some of the key areas discussed at the forum included energy transition, decarbonization commitments, collective effort to resolve food security needs, circular economy and waste management, embedding sustainability values, and inclusivity in climate action.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week provided a golden opportunity for various brands to gain insights, network, exchange ideas on sustainable development, and join hands to further economic, social, and environmental progress. Media professionals at the event got a chance to engage with various climate champions and understand their thoughts on turning sustainability challenges into competitive advantages.
Joining the larger conversation along with other media professionals was The Sustainable Brands Journal (SBJ). In the last couple of years, SBJ has carved a niche for itself and become a unique outlet for media coverage. The magazine has built a community of new-age brands that have revolutionized how we look at sustainability. It has relentlessly amplified the voice of many working at the grassroots level and advocating for change. It has also presented some thought-provoking perspectives and is now known within the circuit for its rich content and unfiltered thoughts on sustainable living.
According to Prachi Bishnoi, the Founder of SBJ, the journal’s mission is to be a part of every conversation in the sustainability space and promote sustainable businesses and communities coming together for the cause. Explaining her intent behind forging partnerships in UAE, she said, “It is inspiring to see the country standing tall on its mission to position itself as a leader in the green economy and shaping the dialogue around all the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). I also appreciate how the UAE has been highly proactive in supporting big organizations and unicorn start-ups who are on a mission to shift the world onto a sustainable path collectively.” She also praised the UAE government for its ground-breaking work in building the first operational Net Zero Energy city in Dubai.
Speaking of the outstanding success of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Prachi confessed, “All the effort that UAE is putting in bringing every aspect of sustainability together under one roof is commendable. It was mesmerizing to share the room with people who have spent decades working in this space and have diverse solutions to offer.”
Some of the brands present at the forum were ocean ecosystem restoration company Archireef, an asset tracking and sustainable lifecycle tracing platform, Verofax, a tech-based startup working to eliminate food wastage, Replate, farm-to-plate marketplace, HeroGo, and UAE’s first dedicated EV conversion firm, Fuse.
Manvi Pant is a writer with The Sustainable Brands Journal. She has worked extensively at the intersection of corporate research, academics, and media in a decade-long career. Passionate about narrative and informative storytelling, Manvi uses both as mediums to make an impact. She proudly calls herself a conversation starter, hates keeping a business card, is a fan of Marie Condo, and admires a classic literary piece in a world filled with fluff.
