Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) organised the Youth Sustainability Forum in Etihad Museum in Dubai, in cooperation with the Dubai Youth Council. This is part of DEWA’s efforts to promote the role of the youth in leading sustainability efforts in the UAE and consolidate Dubai’s position as a hub for innovation and an incubator for innovators. A large number of youth council members and university students from across the UAE, young employees from DEWA and other government and private organisations in the UAE took part in the forum.
The forum is part of the DEWA Sustainability Week held from 11-15 March 2018. It aims to promote sustainable development and encourage society members to adopt sustainability as a lifestyle and encourage using resources responsibly.
“Organising the Youth Sustainability Forum is part of our efforts to achieve the vision and directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to hear from the next generation and learn their ideas, views and solutions for current challenges, to realise their dreams and aspirations, and enable them to play a key role in the UAE’s development. We organise this forum because we believe that the youth are the powerhouse of the future; they are tomorrow’s leaders and the cornerstone of our wise leadership’s sustainable development process,” said HE Saeed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
The forum discussed many sustainability-related topics, with participation from Isobel Abulhoul, Executive Director and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Literature Foundation; and Aris Vrettos, Programme Director, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), as well as a number of prominent Emirati youth. These included Meera Al Shaikh, Project Manager at Smart Dubai Office; Abdallah Kanaan, Programme Manager at Dubai Future Accelerators; Mariam Al Hashimi, a student at Paris-Sorbonne University, and Athbeh Al Shehhi, Engineer, Climate Change & Sustainability at DEWA. Participating youth presented many constructive ideas and suggestions that would contribute to the sustainable development of the UAE. The participants commended DEWA for organising the Youth Sustainability Forum.
“Sustainability is not only a government’s responsibility, it is the responsibility of all members of society. The youth have a major role to play in achieving the sustainable development goals as they are the ones shaping the future. Today, we are proud to say that the UAE Government has empowered the youth and made them partners in the decision-making process to contribute to building a sustainable future for the UAE,” said Nada Al Turaifi, member of the Sharjah Youth Council.
In addition to the Youth Sustainability Forum, DEWA Sustainability Week 2018 has a number of key events including the Sustainability Leaders Conference 2018 in collaboration with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. It discussed several topics related to sustainability over two days during the Leadership Summit and the Sustainable Development Goals Workshop, with the participation of a large number of experts and specialists from around the world. The Sustainability Week also includes a voluntary day for DEWA staff at Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary, as well as other sustainability-related activities at DEWA’s head office.