Dubai is set to take center stage on action for climate change as Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is gearing up to host the first-ever Future Sustainability Forum to be held 4-5 October 2023, at the Ritz-Carlton DIFC.
The DIFC event set to attract over 1000 industry leaders, including more than 50 speakers, representing 30 countries, the 2-day Forum will explore how the financial sector can lead the charge in addressing climate change, promoting a just transition to a sustainable economy, and aligning efforts with the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) for 2030.
Globally, an estimated $3.3 – $4.5 trillion is required annually to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This has called forth the sustainable debt market, which has been growing at a pace driven by strong demand from investors and rising expectations for governments and organizations to deliver on their sustainability commitments.
Mohammad Alblooshi CEO DIFC Innovation Hub
“We are thrilled to welcome over 1000 global leaders to the inaugural Dubai and the Future Sustainability Forum. The Forum will focus on mobilizing sustainable finance and innovation by connecting industry leaders, investors, tech disruptors, and policymakers, and help channel investment flows between the global north and global south, to accelerate climate action. Our mission is clear: We want to pioneer change, foster collaboration, and ensure that the finance sector stands at the forefront of sustainable practices.”
The Forum’s Agenda supports COP28’s 4-pillar plan on fast-tracking the transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on adaptation to protect lives and livelihoods, and making COP28 fully inclusive.
In addition to keynote addresses by H.E. Essa Kazim, Governor, DIFC, and Mr. Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, DIFC Authority, the line-up of speakers will feature eminent leaders including a fireside chat with H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates and Honourable Quincia Gumbs-Marie, Minister of Sustainability, Innovation and the Environment, Government of Anguilla.
Dr. Ayesha Alnuaimi, Director of DEWA’s Solar Innovation Centre and Ms. Amal Larhlid, Partner Sustainability at PwC, Ms. Florence Bulte, Chief Sustainability Officer of Chalhoub Group and Mr. Rajesh Garg, Group CFO and Chief Sustainability Officer of Landmark Group, will speak on behalf of the corporate sector.
The Forum is a key platform to discuss the topic of environmental conservation and private investment, which will be delivered by a distinguished speaker line-up including Ms. Ghiwa Nakat, Executive of Greenpeace MENA, Ms. Laila Abdullatif, Director General of Emirates Nature – WWF, Dr. Adib El Moubadder, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates District Cooling, Mr. Satya Tripathi, Secretary-General of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet, Mr. Matt Brown, Chief Sustainability Officer, Expo City Dubai, Mr. Thomas Bosse, Head of Carbon Unit, Neom and Mr. Shivam Kishore, Senior Advisor at the United Nations Environment Program.
The Future Sustainability Forum will also put the spotlight on the UAE’s sustainable practices particularly within the financial ecosystem, inviting global experts to connect, collaborate and share insight to accelerate the global transition towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. Panel discussions and sessions include: ‘Supporting corporates in embedding ESG within their organizations’; ‘Empowering companies to design their path to Net-Zero’; ‘Unlocking the potential of ESG-driven innovation’; ‘Fostering sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems’; and ‘Transforming capital to drive the low carbon transition’.
Central to DIFC’s program in the run-up to COP28, the inaugural Future Sustainability Forum, further demonstrates the Centre’s commitment to play a leading role in advancing COP28 priorities, aligned with DIFC’s chairmanship of the Dubai Sustainable Finance Working Group (DSFWG), established in 2019.
