Dubai, September 26, 2016: Dr Karlson ‘Charlie’ Hargroves, world-renowned sustainability transitions consultant, researcher and author, has highlighted the need for UAE to adopt advanced integrated transportation and renewable energy solutions, as the country races to implement the ambitious Vision 2021 against the backdrop of being one of the fastest growing desert nations in the world.
Dr. Hargroves spoke on the sidelines of the first-ever ‘Executive Program on Sustainability, Innovation and Economic Growth in the Middle East’ hosted by Dubai Municipality’s Environmental Centre for Arab Towns (ECAT) and Canadian University Dubai, from September 18 to 22.
“We tailored this course to provide most innovative solutions in sustainability and profitable transition from fossil fuels to more advanced options. Integrated transportation is a key issue and so are waste management and water conservation. These topics are all inter-related. The UAE is one of the driest countries in the world, and 98.8% of its water comes from desalination plants, which uses natural gas, something that is not very environment-friendly. UAE’s Vision 2021 goals are highly commendable. Through this course, the participants got to share knowledge, get a better understanding of latest innovations, and come to grips with enablers and disablers in the process,” Dr. Hargroves said.
The unique course was designed to provide executives and senior government officials from the UAE/GCC. It was attended by 19 private sector and government executives, including those from Wasl Asset Management Group, Ministry Of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai Municipality, Dibba Municipality, Nablus Municipality, ECAT, Ducab, DEWA, Adma-Opco and State Audit Institution of Oman.
At the end of the program, the participants were presented with certificates by Mr. Hussain Abdulla Al Fardan, Director of Environmental Centre for Arab Towns (ECAT) and Mr. Karim Chelli, President of Canadian University Dubai.
Participants had very favourable comments on the methodology of the program. Russel Godfrey D’Souza, Manager, Real Estate and Sustainability, Dubai Golf (part of Wasl Asset Management Group) said: “As a sustainability student and practitioner, I found the program very informative. It was also highly relevant because I am in an industry that is linked to environment, and needs millions of gallon of water per day. It was a great opportunity to learn from renowned international experts whose books are listed among Cambridge Top 5 sustainability books. It was highly interactive and sowed seed of thought. The ideas we got will help us drive change in our organisation and the community at large.”
Saeed Ahmed Al Mowali from State Audit Institution of Oman said: “This course on sustainability has great relevance to GCC countries and offered very valuable tips on topics like waste management, and renewable energy. It will help us implement new advanced types of audit in my organisation. Many of the ideas presented by Dr. Charlie can be implemented in my country.”
Anuar Berahim, Corporate Training Manager at CUD, said the course was well received by the participants. The next step will be a series of detailed courses on the specific topics in December to provide greater detail targeted at middle management and staff.
The topics covered in the program included Introduction to Sustainability, Innovation, and Economic Growth in the Middle Eastern context; Profitable Transition to Low Carbon Energy, including Renewable energy generation and storage opportunities; Integrated Transportation and Land Use Planning; Integrated Waste and Resource Management; and Integrated Water Resource Management.
Dr Hargroves is a world renowned sustainability expert who has consulted to numerous state and national governments, including the Dubai RTA, and is a full member of the prestigious Club of Rome. He has co-authored 5 international books (currently selling over 85,000 copies in 5 languages), numerous chapters and papers, and delivered over 60 keynote presentations and guest lectures around the world.
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