- President and CEO, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, addressed key audiences and engaged in strategic meetings on climate
- UICCA connected with high-level thought leaders, setting out systematic approach for global cooperation on climate action
Abu Dhabi, UAE – September 28 2023: Last week, the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), led by Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, attended strategic discussions, and addressed audiences at a series of high-level events taking place during Climate Week NYC and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA.
Climate Week NYC, an annual climate event brought together business leaders, change makers, and civil society representatives from all over the world. The event is held yearly in partnership with the UNGA.
The week-long series of events kicked off with Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of UICCA, also a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, meeting with the Forum to discuss the circular economy and climate technologies. Her Highness was also invited to be a part of the Forum’s Global Future Council, specifically under the Future of Net Zero Living expertise-based thematic council. The Global Future Councils are invitation-only communities and members join for a two-year term to collaborate with a global network of experts, engage through the Forum’s platforms and put ideas into action through their communities and partnerships. The Annual Meeting is being held next month in the UAE.
Her Highness attended the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, which revealed this year’s 15 finalists and their climate and environmental solutions. The winners of the Earthshot Prize will be announced later this year. Nominations for the 2024 Earthshot Prize are now open, with the UICCA selected to be part of a global community of Official Nominators to identify impactful climate solutions.
Delivering a keynote address at an event hosted by Ignite Power on ‘Achieving 100% Universal Clean Access to Power, Everywhere, for Everyone - Insights from Africa and the Middle East’, Her Highness highlighted UICCA’s mission to empower communities in the Global South, said: “UICCA and Ignite Power will collaborate to create and activate a Clean Access Fund with the ambitious goal of providing clean energy to 100 million people across 12 countries in Africa by 2030. This initiative aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 7, which aims to ensure universal access to clean and affordable energy for the Global South.” A finalist of the 2023 Zayed Sustainability Award, Ignite Power is a company from Abu Dhabi that specialises in delivering solar powered distributed infrastructure technology to electrify and connect last mile communities.
Last week Her Highness unveiled The Climate Tribe, a new UAE-based social enterprise dedicated to inspiring climate action through dynamic storytelling, immersive community engagement and radical collaboration. The event took place at the Goals House in New York City. The Climate Tribe is a subsidiary and member of the UICCA family.
Rounding of the week, were several other events and bilateral conversations, where the UICCA engaged with key stakeholders across NGOs, private and public sector organisations. This included the International Center for Research on Women, Vital Voices Global Partnership, UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub and COP28. Her Highness also spoke at a Breakfast Briefing Series organised by the Atlantic Council and Masdar’s 'Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy' (WiSER) platform.