The World Future Energy Summit is set to beat all previous records. More than 98 government delegations led by Heads of State, Royalty, Prime Ministers and Ministers and over 1,400 CEOs have confirmed their attendance, while organisers, Reed Exhibitions, expect over 20,000 visitors.
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber CEO of MASDAR commented, “Abu Dhabi, through its wise and visionary leadership, provides an open global platform for cooperation and dialogue to further the development and adoption of cleaner energy sources. By bringing together governments, businesses and academia at the World Future Energy Summit we can develop practical solutions to tackling the threats of climate change. The Summit’s continued growth is a testament to the growing importance of renewable energy on the global agenda.”
Reed Exhibitions has also confirmed that more than 600 exhibitors from 50 countries will provide visitors with 40,000 square metres of new technologies, energy and environment solutions. The exhibition will have nearly twice the number of national pavilions as the 2009 exhibition.
More than 700 journalists from 35 countries representing the world’s leading press have registered to attend the Summit, in order to gain an understanding of the latest developments in the energy sector, and the actions that are being taken to address climate change. Journalists from the UK, China, Spain, the US, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and all across the Middle East, as well as media from many other nations are set to join the discussions in Abu Dhabi.
Royal speakers
People attending the opening ceremony will hear speeches from world leaders including President of Greece; President of the Maldives; Prime Minister of Turkey, Prime Minister of Malaysia; H.R.H The Crown Prince of Spain; and H.R.H The Crown Prince of Denmark.
Government Ministers from North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa will lead the first plenary session of the upcoming Summit, where they will discuss the actions necessary to balance demands the world is facing between an economic and social need to boost energy infrastructure to fuel economic growth and environmental imperatives that must be met to ensure sustainability.
Other sessions this year include discussions around the outcomes of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the business case for renewable energy, the latest technologies in renewable power generation, the emerging industry in carbon capture and storage, and the growing prospects for employment in the future energy sector.
Sustainability in architecture and design is also among the topics on the agenda, in which participants will discuss the social, political and cultural dynamics associated with the low-carbon transformation of our societies, as well as lessons learned from major projects around the world that exemplify sustainable strategies, future energy technologies and best practices.
Since it was first held in 2008, the Summit has strived to be a platform that could facilitate practical progress in renewable energy. This year’s World Future Energy Summit promises to be more influential than ever before. The profile of participants is higher and more international than any previous year.
Renewables for change and progress
Speakers, exhibitors, delegates and visitors are coming from more than 130 countries and all specialised in cutting-edge solutions in the field of solar, wind, biofuels, geothermal technologies and energy efficiency solutions for green buildings, as well as many other areas. There is also an increased level of participation from developing nations, such as India, China, Malaysia, Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, and from across the Arab World and North Africa.
Frederic Theux, President of Reed Exhibitions Middle East, the organisers of the World Future Energy Summit, said, “The Summit has since inception prided itself on bringing together all of the stakeholders connected with renewable energy and the environment, as this is what is needed to develop practical solutions to the challenges we are facing. This cannot be achieved by one set of stakeholders alone – the approach must be a coordinated one, between politicians, business leaders, academics and financiers in order to bring about change and progress. This is what we hope to facilitate with the World Future Energy Summit, and we hope people go away with the tools and connections they need to make this happen.”
Theux continued, “Everyone taking part, heads-of-state, ministers, delegates, sponsors, speakers, and exhibitors are coming with a single unified goal, to drive forward the uptake of renewable energy sources, and ultimately help to slow climate change.”
Visitors to the exhibition will be able to take part in open entry seminars and roundtable discussions that will cover a vast range of subjects, from The true economic and environmental value of solar modules to Algal Biofuels: The challenges, opportunities and promising path ahead and Hydrogen Production and Storage. These sessions are free access to all and will be taking place throughout the day for all four days of the event. Nearly 100 roundtables will be taking place, and a broad range of experts will be speaking from business schools to strategic directors of technology companies.
Hosted by Masdar, the Summit has attracted sponsorship from Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors, the principal sponsor for the 2010 event, Emirates Aluminium as Associate sponsor as well as BP Alternative Energy, Standard Chartered, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Exxon Mobil, ABB, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, Oxy, the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipality Affairs and Terna.
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