The Arab Green Summit (TAGS) garnered a great turnout of government officials, key decision makers, policy makers, sustainability professionals and climate change enthusiasts from various sectors across the GCC region.
Organised by Market Solutions Events Management and powered by Mashreq, the event was held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment on June 21-22 at Mövenpick Grand Al Bustan in Dubai, UAE.
It event saw participation from government entities and private organisations such as UN, the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI), UAE Ministry of Economy, Mashreq, Masdar, Mastercard, ENGIE, CRIF Gulf, Al Safwa Cement Company, SunMoney Solar Group, Kuwait Water Association, TRANSCO and many more.
Joel Van Dusen, Group Head of Corporate Banking and Investment, Mashreq said: “Mashreq is fully committed to adopt sustainable financial practices across its operations and we endeavour to become one of the key ambassadors for the global green drive in the region. In line with this vision, we were pleased to have been part of the Arab Green Summit this year which discussed important issues surrounding the topics of decarbonisation, energy transition, sustainability, clean energy, and innovation across all key sectors for the Mena region.”
This summit hosted dignitaries such as Eng Yousif Ahmed Al Ali from Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Dr Dena Assaf from the UN, Joel Van Dusen from Mashreq Bank, Shaima AlAydarous from Ministry of Economy, Stephen Christian Severance JR from Masdar, Andrea Prazakova from Mastercard, Daxita Rajcoomar, Latifa Lahsine, Yvon Mompeyssin from ENGIE, Fatima Ahmed Al Kadhim from Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority, Mariam AlQubaisi from Etihad Aviation Group, Zoltan Rendes from SunMoney Solar Group, Salwa Al Maflahi from Aldar Properties, and many more.
Andrea Prazakova, Senior Vice-President, Mastercard Foundry & ESG, Mastercard, EEMEA said: “To enact meaningful change, the public and private sectors need to come together to commit the technology, capabilities, expertise, and resources required for a greener future. At Mastercard, we know that people, planet, and prosperity are intricately linked as we actively pursue our ESG goals. Our solutions including our carbon calculator, donation platform and sustainable cards are all built with a customer-first approach in pursuit of a sustainable world. We are delighted to join hands with the leaders and representatives at the Arab Green Summit as we work towards a better future for all.”
In addition to that, the summit hosted the Decarbonisation and Climate Action Awards (DACA Awards) where Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI) won two awards; ‘Decarbonisation Champion in Power Sector’ and ‘Sustainability Leader in Transportation’.
Mashreq bank won the Torch bearer of Sustainable and Climate Friendly Investment and Leader in Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) awards.
The Sustainability and Innovation Pioneer in Water award went to Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) and ENGIE, with Mastercard winning the Advocate in Climate Action Innovation and Impact award.
Additionally, there were winners from Etihad Airways, SunMoney Solar Group, CRIF GULF and Higher Colleges of Technology
Motaz Gattan, Chief Commercial and Innovation Officer at Al-Safwa Cement Company, said: “We were pleased to present our cement initiatives impact on carbon circular economy and how to be an effective player towards Net-zero carbon. In addition, the event worked as an excellent platform for future collaborations between regulators, consultants and the private sector.”
Zoltan Rendes, Partner, and Chief Marketing Officer at SunMoney Solar said: “We were thrilled to be a part of TAGS 2022. We truly believe that sustainability is about more than just using clean energy sources; it’s also about altering our habits and lifestyles to ensure we don’t continue to harm the environment. The Arab Green Summit was a good platform to deliver our message and highlight our objectives in the region.” --OGN