Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the global platform for accelerating sustainable development, hosted by Masdar, will be held from January 15 to 19, 2022.

As the first major sustainability event taking place after COP26, ADSW 2022 will bring together the global community across high-level events, with participants including heads of state, policy makers, industry specialists, technology pioneers and young sustainability leaders. ADSW 2022 will focus on delivering action across three principles; Global Collaboration & Leadership, Economic Development, and Technology & Innovation.

The ADSW Opening Ceremony and the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony will take place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre on Monday January 17, 2022, reinforcing the collective commitment of the United Arab Emirates to climate action and sustainability.

All other ADSW events, including the ADSW Summit, IRENA Assembly, Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, World Future Energy Summit, Innovate, Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) Forum, and the Youth 4 Sustainability Hub will take place in Abu Dhabi or virtually.

The UAE has always been proactive and forward-thinking in its approach to sustainability.  Earlier this year, the UAE announced its Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, a national drive to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, making it the first country in the MENA region to announce such an initiative. The Net Zero Initiative will see the UAE invest over AED600 billion in clean and renewable energy over the coming decades.

Delivering global net zero commitments and the journey to COP28, which will be held in the UAE in 2023, will be key topics for driving discussions at the ADSW Summit.  The ADSW Summit, which will take place virtually on Monday January 17, will host global leaders from government, industry and technology to explore the latest technological and economic trends that are shaping the sustainability agenda.

An important enabler to delivering a sustainable future is innovation and supporting emerging technologies and start-ups. New to the ADSW program is Innovate, a global initiative recently launched by Masdar City aimed at identifying and nurturing the next generation of sustainable technologies. As part of its year-round program, Innovate will include a innovation hub at the World Future Energy Summit exhibition, taking place at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from January 17 – 19.

The World Future Energy Summit will also host a series of industry forums that will bring together leading experts to discuss clean energy, water, ecowaste, solar, smart cities and climate and environment.

ADSW is aligned with The ‘Principles of the 50,’ which serve as a strategic roadmap as the nation enters a new era in its development path, and a new cycle of economic, political and social growth. As one of the largest of gatherings of its kind, ADSW provides a global platform for cooperation, knowledge sharing, investment and innovation, welcoming each year more than 45,000 participants from over 170 countries, with more than 1,000 international companies represented.

ADSW will be taking place from Saturday January 15 – Wednesday January 19, 2022.

Key dates include: January 15-16 - IRENA Assembly, Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, January 17 - Opening Ceremony and the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony, ADSW Summit,  January 17-19 - World Future Energy Summit, Innovate, Youth 4 Sustainability Hub, January 18 - WiSER Forum, January 19, Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum.

Registration details for individual ADSW events can be found on www.adsw.ae.