UAE
Industrial decarbonization was a key theme on the first day of the Make it in the Emirates Forum on Wednesday, where delegates addressed the need to reduce emissions in the manufacturing sector.
A panel session titled ‘Industrial Sustainability and the Roadmap Towards COP28’ focused on initiatives being implemented under the UAE’s efforts to enhance industrial sustainability and achieve net zero.
COP28 presents a “real opportunity” to review progress, get the world back on course and accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy, His Excellency Majid Al Suwaidi, Director-General and Special Representative of COP28, said.
“Our goal is to organize a successful COP28 with the participation of all stakeholders in the industrial sector,” he said.
He noted how climate change impacts all industrial and economic sectors, and that adopting sustainability measures in all industrial activities is vital to reducing emissions and building a greener economy. HE Al Suwaidi added that it is important for countries to invest sustainability as it can positively impact public health.
Also speaking on the session, His Excellency Engineer Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Steel described the group’s $3 million investments in reducing emissions.
“We’re pioneering technological trends – from CO2 capture to potential hydrogen use – striving for the lowest possible carbon footprint. Our mission is unwavering: to steer the steel industry towards a sustainable future,” HE Eng. Al Remeithi said.
Speaking on his company’s efforts to cut emissions in the coming decades, Abdulnasser bin Kalban, CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), said “reshaping our energy landscape is no longer a choice but a necessity.”
Bin Kalban noted how decarbonizing emission-intensive sectors requires investment in clean energy, and described how EGA is planning to produce green aluminium using solar energy.
He also mentioned how COP28 represents a significant opportunity for climate action and environmental sustainability, particularly in the context of industry.
ADNOC’s Yaser Saeed Al Mazrouei, Executive Director of the Upstream Directorate, also urged stakeholders to focus on building “the energy system of tomorrow while meeting the energy needs of today.”
He described how ADNOC has previously announced it will invest $15 billion in reducing emissions by working with natural gas, hydrogen and ammonia.
The panel also included Alan Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Agthia Group, who spoke about sustainability as an important factor in business growth.
“In our pursuit of growth and ambition, we must never forget our responsibility to sustainability,” said Smith. “From saving thousands of tons of packaging to reducing emissions and saving water to forging innovative partnerships and nurturing our team, every step we take is guided by a commitment to do better – for our consumers, for our customers, and for the planet.”
Agthia, which has 10 factories, has reduced emissions by 4.3 percent and recycled 600 tons of material in the past year, Smith told the audience.
The Make it in the Emirates Forum takes place from 31 May to 1 June at the Abu Dhabi Energy Center under the theme ‘Investment. Sustainability. Growth’. It is being hosted jointly by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, and ADNOC.
The forum has numerous corporate sponsors, including Diamond Sponsors such as Mubadala Investment Company, Emirates Steel Arkan, and Emirates Development Bank (EDB), as well as Gold Sponsors such as Aldar, Tawazun Council, KEZAD Group, Agthia, Edge, and PureHealth.
The event’s Silver Sponsors include First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Dubai Investments, Al Masaood Energy, Emirates Global Aluminum, and Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), while the Bronze Sponsors are Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), Dubai Industrial City, Electro Mechanical Company, Mashreq Bank, Baker Hughes, National Oilwell Varco (NOV), Control Contracting and Trading (CCTC), Weatherford International, and Schlumberger.
