General Electric (GE), an American multinational conglomerate, held a high-level forum at Expo 2020 Dubai titled “Spotlight Tomorrow,” as part of its sustainability commitment to tackle the world’s biggest challenges.
The forum, which focused on embracing the future in energy, flight, and health, brought together significant industry players who contributed to thought-provoking discussions and highlighted key steps to address the global challenge of sustainability.
In addition to showcasing how businesses are putting sustainability at the heart of their strategy to build a more resilient future, they reiterated the need to act now offering solutions across industries.
The sustainability thought leaders from global and local entities in the panel sessions included;
Mr. Nabil Habayeb, GE’s Senior Vice and the President & CEO of GE International Markets
Mr. Roger Martella, Vice President & Chief Sustainability Officer of GE
Mr. Ivano Iannelli, Head of Sustainability, Emirates Global Aluminum
Mr. Joseph Anis, President & CEO – EMEA, GE Gas Power and
Mr. Ahmed Safa, Divisional SVP, Emirates Engineering.
Mr. Nabil Habayeb delivering the opening remarks at the Forum
Mr. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer of Etihad, Mr. Mohamed Ali, Vice President & General Manager – Engineering, GE Aviation, Mr. Mohie Elrafey, Head of Strategic Marketing, GE Healthcare EMEA, Mr. Andre Daoud, CEO, Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centre and Mr. Robert E. Mortiz, Chairman, PwC International Limited are the other major participants of the event.
Nabil Habayeb Senior VP GE
“Today, the world is rallying around the goal of sustainability, a global priority that requires strong action on the ground. In addition, we need to focus equally on resilience. From driving decarbonization of the energy sector to utilizing disruptive technologies in the aviation sector, and developing precision healthcare, we at GE, are invested in solving the world’s biggest challenges. And this cannot be achieved without partnerships from clients and the government.”
In the first session exploring the specific, practical actions that the energy industry needs to take to decarbonize the sector, panelists called for collaboration to realize the energy transition.
Emphasizing the need to deliver actual emission reductions instead of shifting CO2 from one balance sheet to another, it is evident that a holistic, sector-wide approach, involving governments and policymakers, as well as the entire energy value chain, needs to be carefully considered to reach global emission reduction targets.
The second panel discussion focused on how the aviation industry can attain its CO2 reduction goals. The third discussion focused on making healthcare systems more sustainable for the future, facilitating wider access to deliver better outcomes to more people.
Last year, GE announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality across its operations by 2030, which is in line with the government’s sustainability target and decarbonization goals. Its dedication to sustainability in energy, aviation, and healthcare will complement the region’s focus on the next generation’s future resilience.
