Eighth Green Leadership Series identifies job creation as critical for UAE sustainability

The UAE is well positioned to take a leading role in nurturing green jobs and addressing opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, according a senior UAE official.

"With the UAE's growing aspirations of moving towards a green economy, we will experience an increased need for knowledge workers joining the green industry. In order to equip new generations for the forthcoming shift in required knowledge and skills, we need to take a proactive approach by focusing on advancing sustainability education and vocational training. The UAE is well positioned to take a leading role in nurturing green jobs, and this event offers a welcome platform to discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead," Engineer Aisha Al Abdooli, Director of Green Development Department at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), said in her opening remarks at the eighth edition of its Green Leadership Series, convened on Tuesday by Dubai Science Park (DSP), the region's first business community dedicated to the science sector, today convened.

The event discussed the progress of Dubai's green economy transformation. Industry advocates gathered to explore the latest trends in the creation of green jobs, underpinned by the UAE Green Agenda 2030.

The Green Leadership Series is an interactive event aimed at promoting the transition to a green and low-carbon economy in Dubai. Through several thought-leadership discussions and presentations, the Green Leadership Series sought to enable the growth of the green sector by offering a platform that brings together experts from government and business.

The latest edition of the Green Leadership Series focused on sustainability and green job creation, highlighting the importance of policies and regulations as well as of attracting global brands. The event also explored government-driven initiatives to enhance and expand the green sector in the UAE. Speakers outlined ways of developing the right talent – these included the implementation of best practices in addressing skills gaps and the role of the education sector in building a skilled workforce.

Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Executive Director of Dubai Science Park, said: "The UAE Green Agenda 2030 sets the framework for achieving the country's sustainability goals, including key performance indicators and nationwide green growth initiatives. As we move towards realizing these goals, we need to address the role of human capital in establishing the country as a leader in the green economy."

He added: "A common theme of today's discussions was the importance of effective synergies between public and private sector entities in developing talent and creating jobs that will drive the sector forward. Dubai Science Park, home to diverse companies in the green economy space, is proud to support our leadership's ambitions through bridging the gap between the public and private sectors, and encouraging collaboration and knowledge exchange."

For the first time in history, the renewable energy capacity commissioned in 2016 worldwide almost matched that of traditional resources. In some countries, including the UAE, solar power is now cheaper than coal or gas, making large-scale projects such as the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park more viable than ever. The UAE government estimates that substantial investments in green economy will create 160,000 additional jobs and contribute 4 to 5.5 per cent to the UAE's GDP by 2030.