Experts Urge Surge In New Technologies To Meet Global Climate Change Goals At WFES 2025

The World Future Energy Summit 2025 has commenced at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). This event, hosted by Masdar as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, features three days of high-level discussions and showcases of innovative products. The summit aims to advance clean energy and sustainability in the region.

During the summit, a session focused on women's leadership in decarbonising energy systems highlighted the risks of ignoring a gender that makes up nearly half the global population. Isabel O’Brien, Editor of Privitas and Co-Founder of the Association of Women in Business Journalism, moderated this all-female panel at the Pathways to 1.5C Forum.

Beena Sharma, CEO and Co-Founder of CCU International, emphasised the importance of including women in developing carbon capture technologies. She stated that half of the technology needed for net zero is either undeveloped or in early stages at research centres. "We need those technologies and, guess what, if we don't encourage women to take part, we are potentially missing out on 50 per cent of them," she said.

The Paris Agreement requires parties to submit new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years. This year marks a deadline for countries to communicate their climate actions to the UNFCCC secretariat. So far, only four nations—the UAE, USA, Brazil, and Botswana—have submitted NDCs for 2025-2029.

Nadia Rouchdy from Emirates Nature-WWF stressed that NDCs should signal society-wide action towards carbon reduction. "We know we need the net zero world," she said. Ghiwa Nakat from Greenpeace echoed this sentiment: "The new NDCs come after the warmest year on record." Both called for increased ambition and action to ensure these commitments translate into real-world changes.

Eng Ahmed Alkaabi from the UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure highlighted water management strategies during his keynote at the Water Conference. He discussed how the UAE is addressing water challenges through economic and innovative approaches. "The scarcity of natural water resources and high demand for water development has seen the UAE put water concerns at the top of the national agenda," he noted.

Electric Vehicles and Future Innovations

The eMobility stage featured discussions on autonomous vehicles and electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Transport emissions account for nearly half of global emissions, yet EVs represent only a small fraction of vehicles worldwide. Faisal Sultan from Lucid Motors highlighted future innovations like battery technology as game-changers for efficiency and adoption.

Global CMX announced its expansion into the UAE during the summit. This move aligns with a Free Trade Agreement between the UAE and Australia, opening opportunities in renewable energy investments. Trevor Ducharme, CEO of Global CMX, stated: "Our mission is to unlock transformative opportunities for international investors and governments."

Digital Solutions in Renewable Energy

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) held its first "Innovation Day" in the Middle East during this event. Discussions focused on digital technologies like AI and blockchain to support renewable energy transitions globally. Francesco La Camera from IRENA remarked on digitalisation's role: "Digitalisation is a key enabler and accelerator of this transformation."

Leen AlSebai from RX Middle East noted that this year's summit has been packed with industry-shaping discussions and product showcases. The event's new additions have generated significant interest among attendees.

The World Future Energy Summit 2025 is supported by strategic partners such as Masdar, Tadweer Group, Masdar City, Nextracker, DEWA, and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC).

With inputs from WAM